Euro 2000 Diary: News from the camps

Denmark

Vexed he may have been at conceding three goals to France in Bruges on Sunday afternoon, but Peter Schmeichel's thoughts in this tournament have not been solely on how far Denmark go before they pack their bags. Maybe in fact it was the relief at not being asked that question for the umpteenth time that persuaded Schmeichel to talk so freely about his successor in goal at Manchester United.

"I really believe that if Mark Bosnich had got the chance to play for them from the beginning he would have done well. If you see, hear and read a lie enough times, you start to believe it. So at some point he must have doubted himself. Once you do that as a goalkeeper it's the end. A goalkeeper must have confidence.

"That is why United bought Taibi. I only saw the five games he played for United. He was man-of-the-match in his first game. But within five weeks he was the worst goalkeeper England had ever seen.

"Being Manchester United goalkeeper is all about character and how you react to the pressure. You have to handle that and Fabien Barthez will. I'm sure he's a good buy because he has what's important. At this level talent is irrelevant, he has the character - as long as he gets a chance."

France

Coach Roger Lemerre has decided to boycott the daily scheduled press call with French newspaper journalists, a French Football Federation spokesman said yesterday.

No explanation was given but Lemerre's move comes 48 hours after the journalists refused to participate in a press conference with the coach in protest at the refusal of 15 of France's 22 players to speak to the media.

Turkey

Real Sociedad said yesterday they had completed the signing of Turkish international Arif Erdem from Galatasaray.

Erdem's new club said the striker signed a three-year contract at Turkey's Euro 2000 training camp in the Netherlands after meeting Real Sociedad club president Luis Uranga and passing a medical examination.

Meanwhile, leading Turkish striker Hakan Sukur will join Inter Milan after Euro 2000. Sukur will sign when his current contract with Galatasaray expires at the end of June.

Czech Republic

Radoslav Latal, who received a red card for dissent after being substituted in Sunday's Euro 2000 game against the Netherlands, will miss the next match aginst France, UEFA confirmed yesterday. Veteran defender Latal was dismissed from the bench after he and a number of Czech players argued with fourth official Kyros Vassaras of Greece.

The press

There were two contrasting and revealing noises in the packed press tent at Eindhoven yesterday afternoon. As journalists waited for the England-Portugal game, the Germany-Romania match was viewed avidly. When Romania scored the place nearly took off such was the cheer. When Germany equalised, people stared at their feet and said nothing.