Tony Becca, Senior Sport EditorTHE 2000 European championship of soccer, or Euro 2000 as it is popularly called, comes to an end this evening in Amsterdam and, with World Cup champions France up against Italy, it should be a fitting finale to a wonderful and exciting tournament.
From the opening kick-off, France and Holland were expected to contest the final - certainly by the many experts on British television, France were expected to win it, and with Holland out of it, France are the rousing favourites.
According to the host of former England nationals and coaches, past and present, for those who love the artistry of the game, a France/Holland final would have been like a gift from God, and with France boasting a master playmaker like Zinedine Zidane who has the freedom of the field, a striker like Thierry Henry, and a mid-field trio of Emmanuel Petit, Didier Deschamps and Patrick Viera, with Holland blessed with one like Davids in midfield plus Marc Overmars, Denis Bergkamp, Boudewijn Zenden and a striker like Patrick Kluivert, it probably would have been a real treat.
Although Italy do not possess the attacking flair of Holland, France versus Italy is a classic match-up. It brings together one of the world's finest attacking teams and one of the best when it comes to the art of defence, and that should be a treat.
The match in fact, does not simply bring together an attacking team and a defensive team.
With France parading Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc, Marcel Desailly and Bixente Lizarazu in a defence which French fans proudly refer to as the "invincible quartet", plus the brilliant Barthez in goal, and with Italy boasting players up front like Del Piero and Inzaghi, plus a roamer like Demetrio Albertini, the two teams are also strong in other areas - France in defence and Italy in attack.
The experts, however, have made France strong favourites and they may well deserve that honour. According to them, France's brilliance will be too good for Italy, Zidane and company too skilled, and too creative even for defensive masters like Paolo Maldini, Canavaro and Nesta.
Another reason why they are backing France so heavily is because they also believe Italy will be so defensive, and will be forced to defend so much that they will not score a goal.
Only a foolish man, however, would write off Italy - not if it is remembered that as brilliant as France, Zidane and company have been, they scored only three goals, including a penalty, in their past two matches when they were pushed to the hilt by Spain in the quarter-finals and by Portugal in the semi-finals.
In the quarter-finals, in a match they were expected to win easily, France escaped extra-time and the golden goal when, with the score two-one, Raul missed a penalty in the 89th minute; and in the semi-final, it was a hotly debated penalty which handed them a one-nil victory in the 26th minute of extra-time - four minutes before the dreaded penalty shootout.
It should also be remembered that apart from stifling the talented Holland to the point where Kluivert, Bergkamp and company could not come up with even one goal against them in the semi-finals, apart from frustrating Holland to the point where they missed two penalties and then three out of four in the penalty shootout, and apart from knocking them out while playing with 10 men for most of the game, Italy have scored some goals.
Will it be France or will it be Italy? Who will triumph - Zidane and his magical skills or Maldini and his defensive line that is known around Italy as the "bolted door"?
France looks a good bet. The Italians, however, know how to win, and they can win.
One thing is certain: even without Holland, Euro 2000 looks like ending with a thrilling climax.
