Paris, June 7: Goalkeepers facing penalty shootouts in the upcoming Euro 2000 should focus on the kicker’s hips to get the best idea of where he will place the ball.
Justice ministry spokeswoman Rosanne Germonprez sais 150 prisoners serving a maximum of three years in jail for minor and non-sexual offences would be sent home for between two and three weeks.
Belgium’s prisons can accommodate a maximum of 8,500 people and are at present full. The tournament starts on Saturday.
Burying past hatchet
LONDON: English and German football hooligans are burying their traditional enmity and colluding to attack Turkish visitors to the Euro 2000 Britain’s Daily Express reported on Wednesday, quoting police sources.
“Some sections of German and England fans have been the bitterest enemies, but we are receiving information that there has been some collusion going on,” a police officer told The Express.
“It amounts to all the police forces involved having their work cutout to see who is going to have a go at who. But I believe once England and Germany meet at Charleroi this new found friendship between these goons will be forgotten,” he added.
Pele’s favourites
MADRID: Pele has tipped England to win the championship and written off the chances of defending champions Germany. In an interview with Spanish sports daily Marca on Wednesday, Pele named his top three teams to win the tournament opening on Saturday as England, Spain and the Netherlands.
“I’ve got great respect for England despite the fact that they have never won the European title. But they have got pride, which has been there since the start of the history of football,” Pele said.
Yugoslav detained
BELGRADE: Belgrade police detained Yugoslav national team defender Nisa Saveljic last week and treated him “like a common criminal,” he told Independent Blic daily.
Saveljic, who plays for Bordeaux in France, was detained by police on Sunday at the Belgrade international airport, after arriving with the National team from a practice tournament in Asia.
The police were waiting for Saveljic, and led him away for questioning about allegedly failing to meet requirements for the obligatory one-year military service, media here reported on Tuesday.
“I never felt more humiliated in my life – I am not a criminal but a professional soccer player,” Saveljic said.
Big win for France
CASABLANCA: France enjoyed a confidence boosting 5-1 win over Morocco here in the World Cup holders last warm-up match. Arsenal’s Thierry Henry got the Blues off the mark on Tuesday before the break with the four second half goals coming from a Youri Djorkaeff penalty, then three in the last 12 minutes from Christophe Dugarry, Nicolas Anelka and Sylvain Wiltord.
Morocco salvaged a little pride with a Noureddine Naybet header.