THE MISSING WONDER TEAM

The ENGLISH are not the only players who will miss out on Euro 2008. Many household names have also retired or been dropped and will be spending the summer in the pool. Most notable perhaps is Juventus’s French striker David Trezeguet who scored 20 goals this season only one goal behind his teammate Alessandro Del Piero who topped the Serie A sharp shooters has been ousted by French coach Raymond Domenech.

Domenech said it was a question of how the team plays and he has plumped for players who have had patchy club seasons like Thierry Henry at Barcelona and Nicolas Anelka who has scored one goal since he arrived at Chelsea. But King David, at least, will always have a place in French fans hearts after his golden goal in the final of the Euro 2000 against Italy.

Other notable players who will watch the Euro on TV are Raul, Morientes, Clichy, Sagna, Inzaghi, Dudek, Kahn, Rosicky, Ljungberg, Seedorf…

You could have a wonderful team with the players who have been dropped for the Euro 2008. And if we add retirees such as Totti, Figo or Nedved the team is even better and could probably walk the Euro 2008.

In goal of course would the great German Oliver Kahn who retired this month after seeing his beloved Bayern Munich secure the Bundesliga title again. Also missing will be Jerzy Dudek for the Czech Republic.

Similarly, Francesco Totti will be a loss for Italy, despite his 32 years, so much so that captain Fabio Cannavaro has asked for his re-instatement.

Juventus’s Pavel Nedved is another former Ballon d’Or who will miss Euro 2008. The best Czech player ever retired after the World Cup. His compatriot Arsenal’s Thomas Rosicky is injured and also misses out which leaves something of a hole in the Czech engine room.

Zinedine Zidane also retired after the World Cup and that notorious head butt. Clarence Seedorf, a wonderful player who is not injured, has not retired but who has simply been denied by Marco Van Basten because he does not feel his coach is confident in him.

For strikers beyond France’s efficient David Trezeguet , there could be Spain’s Fernando Morientes and Raul who scored 23 goals this season with Real Madrid, the pair formed one of the most prolific partnerships the Spanish team has ever known. Arsenal’s Croatian striker Eduardo who was so badly injured by Birmingham’s back Martin Taylor would also have expected to play.

Missing too will be the Italian striker Pippo Inzaghi, was injured during part of the season but who remains a very efficient striker who has always starred in the big competitions like the two goals he scored against Liverpool last year in the as the last Champions league final.

In defence France will miss Arsenal French wing backs Bacari Sagna, voted best right wing back in the Premiership and Gael Clichy who also did very well this season. As central backs, Milan’s Alessandro Nesta and Valencia’s Ivan Helguera are missing. Equally the Portuguese defensive midfield Maniche has not played enough games for Inter Milan this season to warrant inclusion.

England won’t be there either, but even under Fabio Capello they probably could not beat this team of absentees either.