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| ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS/AP |
| CLOUD NINE: Wayne Rooney raises his hands in jubilation after scoring against Macedonia during the Euro 2004 Group 7 qualifier. |
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Posted Sunday, June 13, 2004; 11.13 BST
Collina is tracking football's generational changing of the guard, and to the list of talents to watch he offers up the name of countryman Antonio Cassano, 21. The cantankerous forward A.S. Roma mixes speed with flashes of ball-handling brilliance on the pitch — and some ugly flashes of pique off it. "I hope Cassano gets a chance to show what he can do," says Collina, who won't be officiating any of Italy's matches. Cassano has another friend in a high place, too. Veteran Italian manager Giovanni Trapattoni says of his mercurial charge: "He has the raw talent and imagination of a Zidane or a Totti [Francesco, Italy's gifted forward]. These are the kind of players who aren't made, they're born."
In a world where sport and commerce have been cohabiting for decades, endorsements can help spectators decide which up-and-comer to keep an eye on. In England, Coca-Cola has thrown its considerable commercial weight behind striker Wayne Rooney, 18, the precocious Everton wunderkind who, two years ago, was watching the World Cup on TV with friends in northern England. This weekend, his self-belief on the ball looks set to propel him into England's starting lineup.
Rooney knows there are sharks lying in wait for him. He sometimes lets youthful frustration get the better of him on the pitch, so he's relying on his teammates to help him resist retaliating against menacing defenders. In the England squad, he says, "we always look after each other." In his quiet moments, Rooney permits himself a quick dream about Euro 2004. "It feels like an adventure," he says, "playing football for a living, going out and playing for my country. I don't think there are many things better." He is careful not to get too far ahead of reality. "We have to take each game as it comes," he says, talking like a veteran. "If you're thinking about Switzerland while you're playing France," he notes, speaking of England's first two challenges at Euro 2004, "your mind's not on the game at hand."
Also vying for the title of striker-most- likely: 22-year-old Kevin Kuranyi, the Brazilian-born German currently playing for Stuttgart, and Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov, 23, whose club side is Bayer Leverkusen. Berbatov is already a football idol in Bulgaria, which has qualified for a major tournament for the first time in six years. Although some commentators criticize "Berbo" for being too individualistic on the pitch, Bulgarian national coach Plamen Markov says the three years he spent playing abroad have helped his development. "It is our good fortune he went to play in Germany. He is very athletic ... [and] he has an exceptional sense in front of goal." Berbo agrees: "There is some sixth sense about it. Even if I have my back toward it, I always feel it."
Kuranyi, whose father is German, brings Latin flair to a side famous for its mechanistic approach to the game. In Brazil, he says, "we often used to play on small fields, or on the beach, in the sand, where the ground was uneven. That has helped me develop my technique." He has worked hard on his game. "I need to use more of the chances I get to score and also improve my offensive head work," he says. Despite those weaknesses, Kuranyi will likely help lead his country's attack given that Germany's senior strikers are currently off their form. Indeed, the squad has so many gaps that coach Rudi Völler has included two members of the under-21 team — striker and hot prospect Lukas Podolski, 19, and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, 19. It's a great opportunity for all three, but wily old opponents will be ready to pounce on their inexperience — and watching that happen is also part of the fun of the championships.
There's always the chance that someone who hasn't yet made it to the edge of the international radar screen will end up as the center of attention. But that's no guarantee of lasting success. Gomes' performance at Euro 2000 earned him a transfer to Italy's Fiorentina, but after some nondescript club play he vanished from sight. "One good tournament can win a player the contract of his life," agrees Jacquet. "But it takes a lot more to earn a durable reputation."
With reporting by Bruce Crumley/Paris, Abi Daruvalla/Amsterdam, Martha de la Cal/Lisbon, Jeff Israely/Rome, Ursula Sautter/Bonn, Violets Simeonova/Sofia and Enrique Zaldua/San Sebastián
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 Brand it Like Beckham [Apr. 27, 2003]
England's captain on keeping his life in balance: "Never say never"
Players Behaving Badly [Jan. 14, 2002]
More English footballers wind up in the courts, prompting questions about discipline off the pitch
Home-Field Advantage [Feb. 27, 2001]
Are some foreign football stars playing for European teams with the assistance of bogus passports?
Back to the Bad Old Days
[Oct. 14, 2002]
English fans were at their worst at last week's Euro 2004 qualifying match against Slovakia
No Money, No Kickoff [Aug. 25, 2002]
Reality bites, and Italian teams are forced to take drastic action
Pink, Proud And Scoring [May. 14, 2001]
Spain's Alav s proves soccer success doesn't always require big bucks
In The Football Business [Sep. 7, 2003]
The true cost of a kick in the grass
Play and Pay [Jul. 30, 2001]
European soccer's big leagues are eager to recruit Japanese players and not just for their ball skills
Search all issues of TIME Magazine
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| Saturday, June 7, 2008 |
UEFA Euro 2008
Austia & Switzerland |
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