Continental Video Quiz...

Another one of the Euro 2008 official sponsors has come up with a competition that gives you achance to win tickets and other prizes related to the big tournament. There's a Grand Prize, Champions Prizes, Daily Prizes but unfortunately for me, no booby prizes!

Continental, the German tyre company, has developed a video quiz where you challenge German goalie Timo Hildebrand, who ironically has been left out of Joachim Löw's squad for the big tournament.

The quiz consists of a questions and picture questions relating to previous tournaments and can be played on easy, amateur or pro level. You have to answer three questions in a row correctly to score a goal and if you get three wrong in a row Timo scores. Don't really know the point of this but let's put it this way, Timo was regularly kicking my arse when I gave it a go.

Get yourself over to the UEFA.com Euro 2008 website and give it a go or to make life simple just click this Video Quiz link. Good Luck, I've given up already.

They think it's Raul over...

Spanish coach Luis Aragonés has decided on the 23 players who will attempt to turn his country from being the perpetual under-achievers of the past into European Champions and shocked many in the country by leaving out Real Madrid's Raul Gonzalez.

Raul, who has 102 caps and 44 goals for his country, scored 18 goals in Real Madrid's championship winning side and has been ceremoniously dumped and replaced by Real Zaragoza striker Sergio García (no, not the golfer), who's side were ironically relegated on the final day of the La Liga season. Aragonés, who has proven he is not afraid of controversy in the past, has also chosen not to take Valencia pair David Albelda and Joaquín Sánchez, while has included uncapped midfielder Santiago Cazorla of Villarreal. Aragonés also became the only manager who will pick a player with a woman's name when he chose Villarreal's Capdevilla, first name...JOAN!

The 23 players chosen to finally turn the Spaniards from zeroes to heroes are...

Goalkeepers
Iker Casillas Real Madrid
Pepe Reina Liverpool
Andrés Palop Sevilla

Defenders
Sergio Ramos Real Madrid
Álvaro Arbeloa Liverpool
Carles Puyol Barcelona
Carlos Marchena Valencia
Raúl Albiol Valencia
Juanito Real Betis
Joan Capdevilla Villarreal
Fernando Navarro Mallorca

Midfielders
Marcos Senna Villarreal
Xabi Alonso Liverpool
Xavi Hernández Barcelona
Cesc Fábregas Arsenal
Andrés Iniesta Barcelona
Rubén De la Red Getafe
David Silva Valencia
Santiago Cazorla Villarreal

Forwards
David Villa Valencia
Daniel Güiza Mallorca
Sergio García Real Zaragoza
Fernando Torres Liverpool

On his surprise decision to leave out Raul coach Aragonés said, "I have chosen the players in relation to how they have performed over many games. I'm the one, for better or worse, who has to choose and I have chosen."

Fantasy Football...where are they all?

With the tournament only 21 days away I find it astonishing that only the official UEFA site has their competition in place and accepting entrants. Hopefully with the Champions League Final coming up and domestic football coming to an end over the next week we will see an influx of games appearing and we can get down to the real business of what this blog is about...Euro 2008 Fantasy Football!!

You can still get entered into the YOYWYW/UEFA.com Super League by signing up at the official tournament website, going to the Leagues tab and entering the code 52-10. If you spot any other competitions that are already out there that I may have missed then please leave a comment and let me know...CHEERS

In the meantime, here's a bit of REAL fantasy football just to keep you ticking over...

Germany announce provisional squad...

Euro 2008 favourites Germany have announced their provisional squad for Switzerland and Austria. Coach Joachim Löw surprised many by included a hat-trick of players who don't even play in the top flight of German football by calling up Marko Marin, Oliver Neuville and Patrick Helmes. Mari and Neuville both play for Borussia Mönchengladbach while Helmes stars for Cologne.

One shock omission was Valencia goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand, who has been replaced by Bayer Leverkusen's René Adler. Other omissions include the experienced Tim Borowski through injury, Manuel Friedrich, Jermaine Jones and Piotr Trochowski.

The full provisional German squad is, with three of these players set to miss out when the squad gets it's final cut to 23 for the 28th May deadline...

Goalkeepers
Jens Lehmann Free Agent
Robert Enke Hannover
René Adler Bayer Leverkusen

Defenders
Christoph Metzelder Real Madrid
Per Mertesacker Werder Bremen
Philipp Lahm Bayern Münich
Arne Friedrich Hertha Berlin
Marcell Jansen Bayern Münich
Clemens Fritz Werder Bremen
Heiko Westermann Schalke

Midfielders
Michael Ballack Chelsea
Thomas Hitzlsperger VfB Stuttgart
Simon Rolfes Bayer Leverkusen
Torsten Frings Werder Bremen
Bastian Schweinsteiger Bayern Münich
Piotr Trochowski Hamburg
Tim Borowski Werder Bremen
Jermaine Jones Schalke
David Odonkor Real Betis
Marko Marin Borussia Mönchengladbach

Forwards
Miroslav Klose Bayern Münich
Lukas Podolski Bayern Münich
Mario Gómez VfB Stuttgart
Kevin Kuranyi Schalke
Oliver Neuville Borussia Mönchengladbach
Patrick Helmes Cologne

On announcing his squad Coach Joachim Löw said "In the last couple years we have watched around 200 Bundesliga games and have had numerous practice sessions watched. We also staged international matches and held meetings with the coaching staff. It was a tough decision, but we have now decided to give these players our confidence for this important tournament."

Tommy Burns...RIP

This has nothing to do with Euro 2008 but I couldn't let this sad day pass without paying my dues to Tommy Burns, Celtic Legend and thoroughly decent human being.

Tommy died today at only 51 after battling skin cancer. He was a man of great faith and a man highly respected by Scotsmen from all faiths and football followings. A true one club man who lived in amongst the game of greed and ego with a genuine love of the game. A TRUE Scottish football legend who will be sadly missed.

RIP Mr SellickFooballClub

Swedish Shock, Henrik Larsson returns...

Swedish coach Lars Lagerbäck today announced his squad and the whole nation, and the majority of the East End of Glasgow was delighted as Henrik Larsson decided to come out of international retirement to take his place at the tournament.

36-year-old Larsson has been continuing to impress this season while playing for his boyhood heroes Helsingborgs and after receiving a surprise call while playing golf the prolific marksman couldn't pass up the chance to head to Switzerland and Austria. One thing's for sure, the sale of Sweden tops in Glasgow has just dramatically increased as the Celtic fans who idolise Larsson after his historic spell with the club will most certainly be snapping them up.

There were no other real surprises in Lagerbäck's squad though veteran Teddy Lucic has decided not to join Larsson in coming out of retirement. Rosenborg's Fredrik Stoor is in ahead of Peter Larsson and Tobias Linderoth, who hasn't played all year has been included but will be replaced by Kennedy Bakircioglu if he fails to prove his fitness at a pre-finals training camp.

Here is the full Swedish squad...

Goalkeepers
Andreas Isaksson Manchester City
Rami Shaaban Hammarby
Johan Wiland Elfsborg

Defenders
Mikael Dorsin CFR 1907 Cluj
Petter Hansson Rennes
Daniel Majstorovic Basle
Olof Mellberg Juventus
Mikael Nilsson Panathinaikos
Andreas Granqvist Wigan Athletic FC
Fredrik Stoor Rosenborg

Midfielders
Niclas Alexandersson IFK Göthenburg
Daniel Andersson Malmö
Kim Källström Lyon
Sebastian Larsson Birmingham City
Fredrik Ljungberg West Ham
Tobias Linderoth Galatasaray
Christian Wilhelmsson Deportivo La Coruña
Anders Svensson Elfsborg

Forwards
Marcus Allbäck FC Copenhagen
Henrik Larsson Helsingborgs
Johan Elmander Toulouse
Zlatan Ibrahimović Inter Milan
Markus Rosenberg Werder Bremen

Suprise inclusion in the squad, Henrik Larsson said "When I said I was retiring, I was in a disappointed frame of mind. I wasn't happy with our performance in that match against Germany, and I wasn't happy with my own performance either. At that point I didn't know that I'd keep playing football for as long as this – or that I would enjoy it as much as I am right now. Lars Lagerbäck phoned me yesterday while I was out playing golf. When I checked my voicemail I made a quick decision to say 'yes'."

Portugal squad announced...

Portugal's enigmatic leader Luis Felipe Scolari has named his 23-man squad for Euro 2008 and the shock omission is Inter Milan's Maniche. The midfielder has struggled to gain a starting slot since moving to Italy on loan from Atletico Madrid and this seems to have cost him dear as the player, who was outstanding at Euro 2004 will be left kicking his heels during the summer as his younger brother, Jorge Ribeiro heads to Portugal's Euro base of Neuchatel.

There's no other real surprises in Big Phil's squad other than the call-up of uncapped keeper Rui Patricio of Sporting Lisbon, who will be lucky to get any game time ahead of regular keepers Ricardo and Quim. Ronaldo, Ferreira, Carvalho and Nani represent the Premier League and will be pivotal to Portugal's chances, these players will also be joined in England next year by £16m Chelsea signing Jose Boswinga. Here is the full squad....

Goalkeepers
Ricardo Real Betis
Balompié Quim Benfica
Rui Patrício Sporting Lisbon

Defenders
Paulo Ferreira Chelsea
Ricardo Carvalho Chelsea
Jose Bosingwa Porto
Bruno Alves Porto
Jorge Ribeiro Boavista
Miguel Valencia
Fernando Meira VfB Stuttgart
Pepe Real Madrid

Midfielders
Petit Benfica
Deco Barcelona
Raul Meireles Porto
Miguel Veloso Sporting Lisbon
João Moutinho Sporting Lisbon

Forwards
Nuno Gomes Benfica
Simão Sabrosa Atletico Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United
Nani Manchester United
Hugo Almeida Werder Bremen
Ricardo Quaresma Porto
Hélder Postiga Panathinaikos

Coach Scolari said, "My expectations are the same as those that I had in 2004. I hope these players know what it means to represent their country well and reach the second stage. I have total belief in this squad."

Portugal face Georgia in a friendly match later this month before their opening Euro 2008 fixture against Turkey in Geneva on June 7th.