Today's other stories in brief
Carvalho's view on contracts
AS IT happens, Alex Ferguson may be reassured by the news Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho, Ronaldo's room-mate here in Switzerland, will indeed be playing at Old Trafford next season. "I think he's happy in England and he's doing very well," said the centre half who, to judge by the latter part of that statement, may have been answering a question from a Martian. "He has a contract with Manchester United so he has to play in England."
This might all prove hugely reassuring to Ferguson were it not for the fact when asked about his own future during the build up to the Champions League final just a few weeks back, Carvalho observed "I have a contract but I still don't know where I will be next season."
Ferguson's fury felt in Switzerland
WITH NEARLY 200,000 Portuguese living here in Switzerland, Luiz Felipe Scolari's side was always going to be well supported at these championships and there was plenty of their fans to be seen around Zurich as they beat the Turks 2-0 on Saturday night.
Still, the Portuguese players and officials seemed taken aback last week when they flew into the Swiss training camp to be greeted by 10,000 supporters.
Several hundred then followed the team bus from the airport to the hotel on motor bikes.
There could well be 10,001 at this morning's session with a certain red-faced Scot possibly making up the numbers after reports at the weekend Ronaldo was not taking his calls.
"Fergie is angry that his calls are not getting through and Ronaldo is furious the Glazers said he could rot in the stands if he decides to go to Madrid," an unnamed source told the News of the World.
Austrians dump three Ds
ROONEY AND co not being at these championships has meant the organisers have been that little bit more relaxed with regard to matters of security. Nevertheless, leading Austrian officials were at pains to point out only last week that some 27,000 security personnel would be specifically devoting their energies to ensuring everything went off peacefully.
Well, things went off alright but not so peacefully in Klagenfurt over the weekend where the build up to last night's game between Germany and Poland was marred by violence between the two sets of fans. Having previously declared a "Three D" police - "Dialogue, De-escalation and Drastic action", the local police seemed to quickly dispense with the first two and fairly enthusiastically weighed into the warring factions, arresting more than a dozen and dispersing the rest.
Clearly anticipating bigger problems ahead, meanwhile, the Austrian airforce have carried out a training exercise in which two fighters pursued a private jet through the skies above Vienna. Rumours they are going to intercept the Rooney wedding party en route to Italy remain unconfirmed.
Rooney spares no expense
RONALDO'S UNITED team-mate, Wayne Rooney is making the most of not being tied up here at Euro 2008 by finally getting around to tying the knot with his long standing/suffering girlfriend Colleen McLoughlin - well, they are both 22 after all.
Clearly out to humiliate Robbie Keane's rather Ballybrack bash, the pair will get hitched in a civil service in England next weekend before five jets fly 64 guests to Italy for a religious blessing and the reception. Colleen's dress cost €250,000 while the whole beano, including stag and hen dos, is reckoned to weigh in at around €6 million. Westlife are reported to be getting €500,000 for playing at the party.
Some of Rooney's England and United team-mates will be among the guests but he has upset some family members by declining to invite them and cross-dressing cousin Stephen, who told one newspaper he'd make the perfect bridesmaid, is definitely banned.
