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CHELSEA FC: EURO 2008: TAKING IT FURTHER

/noticias.info/ Among Chelsea's highly-decorated current squad there is just one former winner of the European Championships for nations and no holders of a World Cup winners medal. Several however have gone close.

Nicolas Anelka is the player who can claim a tournament victory with his country. He was part of the France squad which won Euro 2000 although he didn't take to the field in the final match.

Our Portuguese pair of Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira were beaten finalists on home soil four years ago and when it comes to the World Cup, Claude Makelele and Florent Malouda lost out to Italy last time and Germany were beaten finalists in the previous tournament - Michael Ballack famously suspended after a booking in the semi.

For all those players named, there is the chance this month to balance out previous pain with a Euro 2008 victory. They all play for sides among the tournament favourites and first in action from the are Carvalho and Ferreira who face Turkey this evening (Saturday).

Carvalho has explained differences between the current Portugal squad and the one that lost to Greece in the Final in the previous European Championships.

'Last time we had experienced players and now we don't have that kind of players so much,' he said, talking exclusively to Chelsea TV.

'We miss Luis Figo, he was important. At that time we also had Fernando Couto; I played more than him but he was a strong man to have inside our dressing room. We had Rui Costa as well.

'Now we have younger players but we have the quality to win it. And it will be better to play with Ronaldo than against him.'

Portugal's senior players from their 'golden generation' may have retired from the international stage but the coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who took them to the last final and the World Cup semi-final remains.

'He is a top manager,' reckons Carvalho. 'He keeps all the players together and he is strong with the players and sometimes we need that.'

Michael Ballack will be in action on Sunday against Poland, a game that has been preceded by criticism for a Polish newspaper that portrayed the German captain headless. But Ballack's focus is on adding to his nation's last win in this event - back at Wembley in 1996.

He believes his two years playing club football in England can only improve that chance.

'I've been fortunate to receive a lot of praise recently. People have said I've raised my game and learned new things,' says the midfielder who will play centrally in a rehaped 4-4-2 German side.

'I'm happy to be playing in such a strong league as the Premier League where you have to be at your best week in, week out. Of course it's made me a better player and I'm happy to have the chance to show it.

'What matters is that every one of our players puts in a top performance. I hope that happens.

'The form and standard of the team gives me cause for optimism. We had a good World Cup in 2006 and have no fear.

'The first match you head on to the pitch and absolutely want to win, but at the same time you are still looking for answers to the many questions about your current state of fitness.'

Fitness questions are playing a part in the run-up to France's Monday opener versus Romania, which will be followed by a tough game against the Dutch before a re-match of the last World Cup Final.

One veteran of that defeat by Italy in Germany is Claude Makelele. The 35-year-old missed out on the 1998 and 2000 triumphs for his nation and is hoping Patrick Vieira, unlikely to be fit for the opener, will recover to take his place at some point in a midield already lacking Zinedine Zidane for the first time in a tournaement since 1996.

'Before, nearly all our attacking play went through Zidane,' Makelele has admitted to uefa.com. 'Now he's gone it's up to all the players to try to compensate.

'Zidane is different to everyone else. [Thierry] Henry and [Franck] Ribéry have some of his qualities, [Karim] Benzema and {Nicolas] Anelka are big talents, but there's no point making comparisons.

'Our strength is the way we defend as a team,' he continued. 'It'll be important to maintain that solid defensive block, then spring forward whenever we can.

'I hope Vieira plays a part because he's a key player, from a tactical perspective particularly. But if Jérémy [Toulalan} plays, it doesn't change much for me. They have different qualities but I combine well with both of them. The most important thing is we keep the same shape.

'If we play to our strengths, I'm confident we'll go a long way.'

Portugal v Turkey kicks-off at 7.45 pm (UK time) tonight. Germany take on Poland at 7.45 tomorrow with France v Romania at 5pm on Monday. Petr Cech begins Chelsea interest when Czech Republic contest the opening game v Switzerland at 5pm today. notas_de_prensa_archivo