UEFA EURO 2008 in quotes

GROUP STAGE
GROUP A
We are always emotional, we cannot change that. Even if we wanted to, we don't want to. There are coaches who stay in the dugout and those like me who are more active.
Croatia coach Slaven Bilić on his side's passionate style

To put two central strikers in a team whose biggest problems are on the wings, you'd have to play with 13 players.
Czech Republic coach Karel Brückner explains why Jan Koller and Milan Baroš were not fielded together

I simply cannot put up with this 'playing well and losing' thing any more. We lost. We are not here to play well ... but to win. We were criticised in friendlies, which we could not understand, and now we have lost and there's praise. Of course, I am having difficulties with that.
Switzerland vice-captain Ludovic Magnin on his team's early exit

There can't be great victories without painful defeats.
Coach Brückner after a 3-2 loss to Turkey cost the Czechs a quarter-final place

It wouldn't have mattered if we'd lost 2-0 or 4-0, so we had to go for it. Even when everyone else was settling for penalties after we pulled level, I was signalling for the team to try for a third goal.
Turkey trainer Fatih Terim on the flip side of that decisive fixture

GROUP B
When I worked with Trinidad & Tobago at the last World Cup I woke up every morning to the sound of Bob Marley, now I wake up every day suffering from a headache!
Poland coach Leo Beenhakker gets to grips with a growing injury list

Every evening we sit together and just talk about football. Sometimes I wish we could talk about other things as well.
Germany goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke feeling the strain

We will carry out our usual preparations, just like for the qualifying matches. We won't be doing different things just because we are at the EURO – it's not like we will walk around the park naked or something. We have our normal programme and then we will go [singing] 'tra-la-la' to the stadium. We will play 'tra-la-la' but I don't know if we will still be 'tra-la-la' after the game.
Dutchman Beenhakker on Poland's routine between matches

There were times where they were ready to prepare a camel for me in front of the stadium so I could ride into the desert. In autumn 2007 I had support from three per cent of the population. Is three and a half now good enough for me to continue?
Austria coach Josef Hickersberger after his side's brave exit

GROUP C
They say that if it rains, the earth gets wet and that brings luck. I hope it will bring us luck too.
Former international Ioan Lupescu on the rain at Romania's St Gallen training camp

With all those people being here, I think I will have to phone home to check if anything is still there.
Netherlands coach Marco van Basten ponders the huge number of Oranje fans in Switzerland

Everyone is still talking about that goal in the 1988 final – I think it was a bit lucky.
Rafael van der Vaart dismisses coach Van Basten's goal in the 1988 UEFA European Championship final

I am not going to answer questions about Italy. So if that's what you want, forget it. Now you have time to get a coffee.
France coach Raymond Domenech bars all talk of the Group C decider against Italy

He said he didn't feel right because of a problem with his best friend, so I offered my condolences but he was talking about the ball.
Germany's Miroslav Klose reveals details of a conversation with his FC Bayern München team-mate, Italy's Luca Toni

This squad has always had a very special bond, win, lose or draw. It was there against France, against Romania, and also in the loss to the Netherlands. I'm not just saying that because we qualified, but because that's what our dressing room is like.
Boss Roberto Donadoni on Italy's progress to the last eight with a 2-0 win against Les Bleus

I don't have anything to say to the people who want me to resign. But I would like to ask Estelle for her hand [in marriage]. The only thing I'm thinking about from now is marrying Estelle, which is why I'm asking her for her hand today. I know it's difficult at this moment but it's during these difficult times that you need people – and personally I need her.
Domenech proposes to longtime partner Estelle Denis moments after France's fatal defeat by Italy

GROUP D
Luis is a [Club] Atlético [de Madrid] legend, a great footballer and a wonderful man. The human condition requires you to be greedy – always hungry to better yourself and achieve more. That's what Luis is and it's the perfect petrol for the engine of a football coach.
Miguel Reina, Pepe Reina's father, on former colleague Luis Aragonés

We will not play like the Poles, whose defenders suddenly decided to grant the Germans 30 metres of space to allow them to score. That was a modern offside trap but also a modern way to lose 2-0.
Greece coach Otto Rehhagel before his side's 2-0 reverse against Sweden

A miracle only happens every 30 years. If that wasn't the case then there wouldn't be any miracles.
Rehhagel after the holders bowed out early

After [the 4-1 opening defeat by] Spain, the team were unfairly hung out to dry by the media and the pundits – it was very unpleasant to listen to all the negatives. But we wanted to prove that we have character, that we have a team and that we can play football.
Roman Pavlyuchenko sows the seeds of Russia's recovery

I'm disappointed we didn't get our game going. Maybe there is a mental factor involved, in that we're not a team that steps up from the very beginning. We lost. It's not a common occurrence but I have a bitter feeling about it.
Coach Lars Lagerbäck on the loss to Russia that sent Sweden home

QUARTER-FINALS
PORTUGAL 2-3 GERMANY
First she told me not to do anything stupid again, which I did not do [against Portugal]. Then she said I should play the same way I did two years ago. What can you do? If the chancellor asks you to do something, you have to obey!
Bastian Schweinsteiger explains what happened when he sat beside German Chancellor Angela Merkel when suspended for Germany's final group match

I think with what we've done, expectations have become higher. Because of the way we played and especially the manner in which we won the first two games, the fans got excited by this and expected more, and I understand that.
Winger Nani on the disappointment of Portugal's premature departure

I lost a bottle of wine in a bet with [assistant coach] Hans-Dieter Flick today. I said we wouldn't score from open play. Oh, two bottles of wine ...
Germany coach Joachim Löw drinks in the success over Portugal

CROATIA 1-1 TURKEY (TURKEY WIN 3-1 ON PENALTIES)
Einstein said: 'There are two ways to live – one is to believe everything is a miracle and live your life that way, the second is to believe nothing is a miracle.' I belong to the second group.
Terim on Turkey's never-say-die spirit

I can understand why they call us 'Crazy Turks'.
Emre Aşık reflects on another drama-filled Turkey win, referring to a popular history book

The last two minutes are something I can't describe – they'll haunt me for the rest of my life.
Coach Bilić reflects on a painful evening for Croatia

NETHERLANDS 1-3 RUSSIA
There are some points of criticism. We committed too many fouls and were too passive in our reaction to their free-kicks.
Guus Hiddink nit-picks after a famous victory

I think they had a coach who knew us better than we did.
Full-back Mario Melchiot considers the Dutch undoing by Russia

They are between 22 and 26 years old, not at their peak, but not young – they are somewhere in the middle. They have the opportunity and now the question is: can they take it to the next level?
Johan Cruyff assesses the future of the Oranje

SPAIN 0-0 ITALY (SPAIN WIN 4-2 ON PENALTIES)
We go out with heads held high, but it's a painful defeat. We all gave our best and we all know it was not enough. We're very sorry for ourselves and for our fans. Spain enjoyed most of the possession but we had better chances to score. The draw was a fair result, then on penalties sometimes you celebrate and sometimes you cry.
Daniele De Rossi comes to terms with the Azzurri's demise

We have struggled to get past the quarter-finals before but now we've done it so let's see if we can get to the final. I'm not depressed when I lose, I'm not euphoric when I win. I'm happy for my country, happy for my players and also for me – this is my job.
Luis Aragonés on Spain's success

SEMI-FINALS
GERMANY 3-2 TURKEY
I really must say: I often had to catch my breath out there.
Angela Merkel after the dramatic triumph against Turkey

Today we beat the Turks at their own game.
Christoph Metzelder after a late Germany goal denied the comeback kings

The players should not feel bad. Yes, they lost, of course we are out, but it was our 47th day together and it is not easy to work when everyone else is on holiday. They have been here to serve their country and I told them I was proud of them, that what they did is important, and I wished them every success in the future.
Terim shows pride in his players

RUSSIA 0-3 SPAIN
I don't like this new colour, personally. But so long as I don't have to wear it, the players can. Anyway, it's not yellow, it's mustard.
Aragonés on Spain having to change from red to yellow for the semi-final

The bronze medals we were shown in the locker room are the limit for us. Today we could not have hoped for more. We were outplayed.
Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev reflects on a one-sided game

I like teams who focus on attacking and who enjoy playing. This Spain team is very experienced and love to play this type of football.
Hiddink admits his admiration for Russia's nemesis

FINAL
GERMANY 0-1 SPAIN
It is a great feeling, we cannot believe what we have achieved. You watch these European competitions on TV and you want to be a part of it – and we were.
Fernando Torres after scoring the only goal in the final

We have had a great tournament and we have been the best team by a distance in all our games. There hasn't been one game where we won because we were lucky – we have won by being the better team every time.
David Villa has the secret of Spain's success

I had a quick word with every one of my players. I told them not to feel down. Yes, we lost the final and that's a disappointment for us all, but the fact we made it to the final is an achievement in itself.
Löw smiles through Germany's gallant defeat

We'll remember it for the rest of our lives – the fields, the mountains and that part of Austria. We received a very warm welcome in that little village, as did our families. It's been a different way of preparing. We were very happy, all the locals were with us, and part of us doing well could be the fact we stayed there.
Iker Casillas revisits Spain's base in Neustift, Austria

Many people will look at this Spain team because it has been a model for playing football. I think all football lovers want people to make good combinations, to get into the penalty area and to score goals. At the beginning I said that if we managed this squad well, we would be champions. The team just thought I was trying to give them confidence. I just hope Spain carry on in this way and have many more victories.
Aragonés has the last word

(taken from http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/)

Johnny Cash

Cash, Johnny (1932-2003), American country music singer, known for the sincerity of his singing and for his deep bass voice. Born in Kingsland, Arkansas, Cash graduated from high school before working in an automobile factory in Detroit, Michigan. In 1950 he joined the United States Air Force, where he formed a band and published poetry in the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. After leaving the Air Force in 1954, Cash moved to Memphis, Tennessee, to work in the music business.

In 1955 Cash made his recording debut with Sun Records, the small Memphis record label that a year before had produced the first release by American singer Elvis Presley. Cash's first release included the successful single “Cry, Cry, Cry.” During the next few years he recorded many of what were to become his most famous songs, including “I Walk the Line” (1956) and “Ballad of a Teenage Queen” (1958). He also appeared on popular radio shows such as Grand Ole Opry.
In 1958 Cash signed a contract with Columbia Records and moved to Los Angeles, California. During the next few years he led a chaotic life. He became addicted to drugs, but at the same time he developed what was considered one of the most polished touring shows in country music history. He also sang with American musician Bob Dylan—a fan and friend of Cash—at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964 and recorded concept albums, which used traditional folk songs to explore such subjects as the lives of working men and the plight of Native Americans.
In 1968 Cash married June Carter, a member of the Carter Family, a traditional country vocal ensemble that sang on his tours. Under Carter's influence, he gave up drugs and gained a religious focus in his life. His most famous albums, At Folsom Prison and At San Quentin, were released in 1968 and 1969, respectively. At San Quentin contained his biggest pop music hit, the novelty song “A Boy Named Sue” (1969). Cash won five Country Music Association awards in 1969. Cash also had his own television variety show in 1969 and 1970.
In 1971 Cash costarred with American actor Kirk Douglas in the motion picture A Gunfight. Cash and his wife also produced Gospel Road (1973), a documentary film about the Holy Land that Cash narrated. In 1975 his autobiography, Man in Black, was published, and in 1986 his novel Man in White, about the missionary Saint Paul, appeared; another autobiography, Cash, was published in 1997.
An important influence on early rock music, Cash was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Over the course of his career he won 11 Grammy Awards, the first coming in 1967 and the last in 2003, when the song “Give My Love to Rose” off the album American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002) won for best male country vocal performance. In 2001 Cash was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President George W. Bush. In addition to his musical wife, three members of Cash’s family—brother Tom Cash, daughter Roseanne Cash, and stepdaughter Carlene Carter—also became well-known musicians.

(taken from Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2005)

Some songs of his:

I Walk the Line


God's Gonna Cut You Down


And a wonderful cover of the song Hurt, originally sang by Nine Inch Nails. If you ask me, this cover is even better than the original song.

Hurt

Quote of the day

Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.
Abraham Lincoln

Caldura mare

Quote of the day

Take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise.
Unknown author

Lacramioare gigantice?

Auch!

Quote of the day

Do not condemn the judgement of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong.
Dandemis

Bestia

Top Ten George W. Bush Moments

I did it!

You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.
Zig Ziglar

Quote of the day

A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.
Napoleon Hill

Quote of the day

Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.
Euripides

Dragu si mita electorala?

Era de Boboteaza... a, ba nu...era 8 Martie.
Ma distreaza teribil cum toti politicienii prinsi cu mata-n sac au replici pe aceeasi tema - conspiratie securista - diversiune, in cazul de fata.

Quote of the day

People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote - a very different thing.

Walter H. Judd

Dragu vs Tudor

...sau lupta pentru primarie in Calarasi.

Spre surprinderea mea, ca umil cetatean al municipiului Calarasi, care locuieste mai mult in Bucuresti si care nu prea da pe acasa, Dragu este in continuare preferat de calaraseni. De ce? Habar nu am. Am stat si m-am gandit indelung si nu am gasit nici un motiv suficient de bun petru care mi-as putea dori ca omul ala sa fie in continuare primar, dar nici macar UNUL.

Am gasit in schimb motive suficiente pentru care nu as vrea sa mai fie primar. Cel mai important si care iese in evidenta de cand pui piciorul [sau mai degraba roata] in Calarasi este conditia jalnica in care se gasesc strazile. Este inadmisibil ca nici macar arterele principale sa nu fie asfaltate cum trebuie, nu mai zic nimic despre stradutele mai mici...Dar, surpriza, inainte de alegeri strazile au fost [nu, nu te gandi ca au fost asfaltate] peticite, bine, nu o sa dureze decat 1-2 luni sa reapara gropile, dar na, momentan calarasenii or fi multumiti ca strazile sunt reparate. Dar asta nu e tot. Ok, au fost aplicate deja celebrele plombe de asfalt, doar ca nu s-a gandit nimeni sa remedieze diferenta mare de nivel care exista intre sosea si canalizari, astfel incat te poti trezi ca dai cu masina intr-un mare crater. Ca deh, cine sa se gandeasca ca daca torni asfalt ca tampitul, neputand sa torni si peste canalizari, acolo ramane o mare groapa? Nimeni, evident. Ce mai conteaza ca faci treaba de mantuiala. Tu trebuie sa asflatezi strada, asta faci. Si lasi craterul ala acolo ca nu e de competenta ta sa rezolvi problema.
Pe langa aceste cratere, mai avem si limitatoarele alea enervante de viteza. Da, o sa ziceti ca au si alea rostul lor. Or avea, in 2-3 locuri, dar nu pe toate strazile unde sunt puse. Nu e evident de ce au fost puse atatea si in locuri unde nu au ce cauta? Va spun eu, este destul de evident. Nu v-ati dat seama inca? Este vorba de BANI. Bani pe care cei ce le-au pus le primesc. Mai multe limitatoare, mai multi bani. Simplu ca buna ziua. Oricum, la halul in care se gasesc strazile nici macar in locurile unde ar avea ce cauta, nu-si mai au rostul.
Sa trecem insa peste lucrurile pe care le-a facut si sa ne rezumam la ce a facut.
Pai sa vedem, in primul mandat, o sumedenie de statui, care mai de care mai nefolositoare. Surpriza, si in al doilea mandat a facut ceva statui, cea mai recenta fiind cea a lui Carol. Sa fi fost oare calaraseni asa de impresionati de mirifica statuie si de vizita lui Mihai I la Calarasi incat au reusit sa stearga cu buretele toate neregulile si s-au decis brusc sa il voteze pe dl Dragu inca 4 ani? Poate...
Sau poate au fost impresionati de florile plantate pentru a schimba imaginea orasului. Nu neg, sunt frumoase, dar sincer, nu prea ai cum sa le admiri, fiind preocupat sa eviti craterele de pe sosea.
Si totusi, care este motivul pentru care este atat de votat? Habar nu am. Am vazut recent ca este suspect de mita electorala. Acum, daca stau sa ma gandesc ca nu prea sunt alte motive pentru care ai putea sa il votezi, mita electorala mi se pare unul bun. Adica, la o adica, daca nu stii ce sa votezi si cineva iti da niste bani ca sa il votezi pe X, de ce nu ai face-o? Oricum nu stiai pe cine sa votezi...Te-a ajutat sa te si decizi, si te-a si platit pentru asta. Iti zic eu de ce sa nu o faci. Pentru ca pe termen scurt tu te vei bucura de banii pe care ti i-a dat, iar pe termen lung el va sta si va roade la ciolan in primarie, in timp ce tu vei duce aceeasi viata mizera de pana atunci.

De ce l-am vota totusi pe Tudor? Avem garantia ca el va face ceva mai bun? NU, nu avem aceasta garantie. Votandu-l pe Tudor ne asumam un risc. Dar totusi, as prefera aceasta varianta decat cea a alegerii lui Dragu. Stim deja ce poate Dragu, si nu poate multe. De ce nu am alege sa vedem ce poate Tudor? Nu poate sa fie mai rau decat Dragu, poate sa fie cel mult la fel. Sau poate fi mai bine, si poate vom avea si noi un oras care sa semene a resedinta de judet, caci la momentul asta, cu greu ii mai putem spune oras.

Asa ca hai sa votam schimbarea, dragi calaraseni. Sa vedem ce pot face si altii pentru orasul nostru. Hai la vot!

Quote of the day

I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center.
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Blaga vs Oprescu

Sunteti din Bucuresti si nu v-ati hotarat inca pe cine sa votati?
Happy Fish Tv va arata imaginea capitalei in cazul in care ar castiga Buldogu' sau Doctoru'. Vedeti despre ce este vorba aici.
Deci, tu ce alegi?

A vota sau a nu vota?

...asta e intrebarea.
Cam toata lumea are aceeasi problema zilele astea avand in vedere ca urmeaza turul 2 al alegerilor locale. Toti ne intrebam daca merita sa mergem sa votam...Probabil ca nu, pentru ca am observat cu totii ca indiferent de culoarea politica a celui ce ajunge la conducerea orasului, mare lucru nu se intampla.
Si atunci ce ar trebui sa facem? Sa renuntatam pur si simplu la acest drept? Sa alegem sa nu mergem la vot? Sau sa mergem si sa votam pe cineva la intamplare? Sau mai bine, sa mergem, dar sa ne anulam votul?
Ce ar fi mai rau pentru ei?...probabil ultima varianta. Sa boicotam alegerile. Sa ne anulam toti voturile. Atunci poate vor vedea semnalul de alarma. Vor intelege ca ne-am saturat de incompetenti, de vorbe goale, de promisiuni desarte. Atunci poate vor intelege ca postul pentru care candideaza nu este o gluma, nu implica doar un salariu gras, ci si o mare responsabilitate. Dar suntem oare capabili sa boicotam alegerile? Nu cred, caci satui de politica si politicieni, majoritatea oamenilor alege sa nu vina deloc la vot, iar cei care vin de cele ai multe ori aleg sa voteze candidatul care ar produce cel mai putin rau, in opinia lor. E trist, dar adevarat: nu votam pentru mai bine, votam pentru mai putin rau.
Si totusi, in final, ce ar trebui sa facem? Pai, puneti in balata optiunile si aflati singuri. Eu v-as recomanda sa mergeti la vot. Pana la urma e dreptul nostru, drept pentru care multi au luptat in trecut.

Dezbateri

Quote of the day

While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.
Leonardo Da Vinci

Arhivele Statului

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