No, not whether Cristiano Ronaldo will finish as top scorer, nor whether Greece can retain their title. The really important question we need to ask is: Which country has the best team bus?
Once again, those crazy tournament co-ordinators have commissioned some specially designed coaches to ferry the Euro 2008 squads around from venue to venue, and once again you can be assured of two things: (1) They're brightly coloured, and (2) they have a slogan printed on them which is either banal, badly translated into English, incomprehensible or an impressive combination of all three.
Older visitors to SPAOTP may recall we had this conversation almost exactly two years ago in only our fourth ever article. We were building up to the 2006 World Cup and were revelling in the delightful novelty value of having team buses that had individually selected slogans chosen from thousands of entries from each country in question.
How we laughed back then, and how we'll roll our eyes with disillousionment now as we realise they've taken the same approach for Euro 2008. Oh well, let's get this over and done with...
WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO THE EURO 2008 PARADE OF COACHES!
First of all, it's co-host Austria with this delightful vision in red...
Their slogan: "Only together we can win…!" (Huh, yeah - and half of the Brazil team as well, if they'll play...)
Next up it's France sporting a slick blue livery...
Their slogan: "Live together, celebrate together" (...and if all else fails, call a national strike, presumably...)
On now to Greece who arrive at the tournament in this white and blue apparition...
Their slogan: "One team one dream!" (...one plate of moussaka and a pint of ouzo as well, please...)
And here comes the Dutch bus in what else but bright orange!
Their slogan: "1 mission, 1 feeling, together we are orange" (Rejected slogan: '1 dream, 1 goal, 1 prize, 1 goal, 1 golden glance... of what should be... it's a kind of magic.')
Next, onto the Poland coach and a clean red and white look that's bound to impress the crowd...
Their slogan: "…because only sport and good fun counts!" (but if Poland are eliminated at the end of the First Round, we'll sack the manager anyway...)
Trailing in towards the back is the Portuguese coach with their contrasting colour scheme of red and green...
Their slogan: "This coach is driven by the Will to Win" (...or if absent, Senhor José da Silva - he's just passed his test, you see...)
Now it's Spain following on from their near neighbours, and what a vivid shade of red and yellow that is...
Their slogan: "Whatever happens, SPAIN ALWAYS" (...'fails to reach the knock-out stage'? Is that the end of the sentence you couldn't fit on?)
Finally it's our other co-hosts, Switzerland, in yet another red coach. When you've seen one, you've seen 'em all, I suppose...
Their slogan: "Final destination: Vienna" (or jump on the 169 in Zurich High Street if it's the terminus you're after...)
the greek coach looks just like a national express.
ReplyDeleteI am suporting Greece in this championship. Rationale: Greece is nice. I used to live there when I was kid. You get to support the champion and the underdog at the same time!
If Greece could somehow retain the title it would be even more significant than actually winning it the first time. I sincerely believe they'll go out first round though.
I think you're right, chris! Apparently you can join up with the Greek squad by booking your trip in advance at one of the many coach stations across London...
ReplyDeleteQuite right, too, about Greece winning it for a second time. That'll give them SERIOUS credibility after winning it last time. Not optimistic this time around though?
Has anyone else noticed that Austria, Germany and Poland are in the same group. Crowd trouble waiting to happen.
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