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Updated Tuesday July 4, 2000 Letters to Soccernet With Euro 2000 over, the Soccernet letters page will now be updated here.Following the Final we were deluged by Portuguese and Italian fans - but it seems most supporters of the victorious French team were too busy celebrating to get their thoughts down on e-mail. So allez les Bleus - and defend your right to win all the tournaments you can! Most letters have been edited for clarity, brevity or to avoid repetition with other letters. To have your say, don't forget to email us at letters@soccernet.com • 15-year-old Aidan Brunskill wrote a long review of the tournament which we publish in full here. As for the thoughts of everybody else, let's start with the Final itself...
Perfomance on the day seems to have taken a back seat, and luck seems to have taken over, even in the final. Whoever thought of the use of sudden death, or Golden Goal to give it its nicer name, in football is an idiot. How is going out due to a golden goal any better than going out after a penalty shootout?
Any team that defends for almost all the matches that it plays does not deserve to win this competition. They slow the game down. They depend on one or two breaks in a game to win. NOT my idea of a champion. Although I would have preferred to see Holland, Romania, Portugal even Yugoslavia win, Thank you France for going forward and not allowing them to get to you with their lacklustre football.
Like it or not, France has won and kudos to 'em! Not to wear out another overly used American sports cliché, but by finally pressing players into the box, France were playing to win, while the Italians went into their defensive shell playing not to lose. Of course, blown chances don't help, either...
When we say CATTENNACIO, it means ITALIAN FOOTBALL, when we say TOTAL FOOTBALL, it means DUTCH STYLE, when we say NOTHING, it means FRENCH FOOTBALL. Italia was better than the team which could be characterized by the only word: lucky.
In a night which many experts and presses throughout the world dubbed as the finale of Attacking vs Defensive Football, I could not see any so-called 'French Flair' emerge as the victors, let alone the the sublime skills of 'super' Zizou. The masters of Defensive Football have shown they can play exciting football, in terms of defense of course. Roger Lemmere's claim in the post-match talk that Attacking Football was the victor has a hollow claim in it after we witnessed more than 120 minutes of exciting and organized defensive play from the Italians. If you see too much of France of Holland or Brazil vs Portugal, surely you yourselves will get sick of it.
Let the French have their time, install the England under 21 squad as the first team for experience and lets get back to thing that really matters, the Premiership and the football league. After all this is the type of football that we English love to watch and we buy our season tickets and wait with baited breath for the first day of the season. Forget international football it is not important anymore, after all if France are the world and European champions is it really worth that much? None of the French players last night even play in their own country which shows how strong their leagues are.
Can somebody please explain to me where four minutes of extra time came from? I hate to say it, but if it were anybody but France behind 1-0, there would have been no more than two minutes added on. I just watched the game on tape, and I looked carefully for injuries, delays, etc. that might have added time on, having already known the result. I couldn't find anywhere near four minutes.
We are wondering where the Referee found 4 minutes injury time in the second half of the final. In our books, France may have the cup, but Italy won Euro 2000, in regular time, and no doubt the best team on the day.
Nice to see how well the games can flow without the meddling Sepp Blatter and his pet poodle Platini trying to spoil our game. Let them learn from this and leave it alone.
Does Matthew Norman wear an eye-patch (French flair rivals great Brazilians, 3 July)? Where is the justice in France winning the final? It took France more than 94 mins. to score a goal against Italy, whereas Italy took just over 52 mins. He is right on only one point - that France needed help from God to win, otherwise Italy would have, should have and deserved to be European Champions.
Forza AzzurriPatrick Oyulu Kampala, Uganda
I just would like to write this message for every Italian Player. We all are broken-heart from bad luck not only you or friend in Italy.. All Thai people would like to bring our cheerful heart and encourangement... you did your best.... we believe in goodness and would like to send our thoughtful and careful to every Italian player and of course for Mr.Dino Zoff.
Those people that say the italians ruin the game would have a different opinion if their preferred team had the success Italy has had through the years. If your looking for a performance then go to Blockbuster and rent a movie.
The myth that more goals produced in a game represents greater skill is intellectually flawed. Italy in 1982 proved to be the only nation to usurp the Argentinians, Brazilians and Germans in a single tournament. All done with great defense and fine counter attack. Please dont you dare bring up Zico and that overated Falco team against Italy's brilliant performance in 82. God bless the 1-0 soccer game, because the 4-3 Spain and Yugoslavia game entertained through incompetance not skill.
I don't think it's Del Piero's fault Italy lost. Granted he missed two good oppertunities to put Italy up, but the media is coming down on him too much. It's not his responsibility to win all of Italy's games for them. I don't think Luigi DiBiagio was playing at 100%. Italy also had a lot of injuries. Conte and Vieri are all major parts of the team and they both were out.
Poor Portugal...?[no name supplied]
I'm tired of reading about the Portugal-France semi final. It's sad UEFA punished the Portuguese so hard after their behaviour at the end of the game. But, face it, it was a handball, and to me it was intentional and the penalty was justified. One last word, I'm also sick of hearing about UEFA conspiracies. Some people, out there, should stop watching X-Files.
What a difference. UEFA slap bans on [Portugal's] players of up to 9 months. The FA does nothing to Manchester United. But of course Portugal is a small insignificant country while Manchester United is Manchester United. No-one at the FA would have the courage to penalize Manchester United. Big bullies win. Little bullies get massive penalties.
I think the referee made a great call in the Portugal-France game. It was clearly a hand ball so if Portugal wants to cry about it then their display of sportsmanship showed on the field after they lost the game. Hats off to the hardworking French national team that are now Euro 2000 champions!!!
And more on poor Ian Chadband!Nc.
I can not believe the garbage that came out of Ian Chadband's article. I, sir, will give you the point that it may of been a penalty and that the Portuguese players should of acted in a more dignified manner. But to label them the way you did only shows an in-depth disdain for the Portuguese team, its fans and the people of that country. Whatever point you tried to make was lost. If anything you only proved yourself to be just as shameful as the team you bashed.
I can not believe an Englishman can seriously go out and say that the Portuguese attitude was uncalled for when their own country present a bunch of hooligans that tend to these championships and ruin it for the rest of us. I will accept a comment from the English when they can prove to have a better attitude toward soccer and a better defense to sustain an attack.
In summaryMary Charlotte, USA
I am totally envious of the world outside of the US that can watch spectacular football on their televison at home, not having to pay extra for the games. In the US, the games are not seen for the msot part and, those that are shown, are shown on pay-per-view, at $19.95 a game. What a travesty and in a country that is trying to get the game popular. I am referring to Euro2000 in particlular. The final between France and Italy must go down as one of the greatest games of all time. At least there was pay-per-view.
Soccernet, you stink! Your coverage of the Euro2000 was totally biased. I think you should recruit journalists that represent each country involved. It only makes sense to have a pool of writers writing about their own country, because having just British is the same. Also, clearly having the likes of Ian Chadband is like having him cover 3 point's of view which are ENGLAND, FRANCE and HOLLAND!
I am utterly disgusted with UEFA and the irreparable damage done to European soccer by the biased calls of the referees. The Portugal-France game was yet another clear example of UEFA's biases. UEFA has ruined soccer for its fans. It sickens me to think that we can't even watch a soccer game without the incompetence of a referee (supported by UEFA) ruining it for the fans.
What a treat to watch the France and Italy game, and not have to listen to the continuous whistle blowing by officials, often for very dubious infractions. The Swedish referee is to be congratulated for his handling of this game. On the other hand the Portugese official did his very best to ruin the excellent game between Holland and Italy and prior to that the Italian referee was far to prominent in the game the last game he refereed.
To have your say, don't forget to email us at letters@soccernet.com
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