体坛英语新闻：Group rivals cannot meet again in final

BEIJING, June 4 -- Three of the last five European championship finals have been played between teams who had already met in the group phase but it cannot happen at Euro 2008 after UEFA changed the format of the draw.

    Jaunty "see you again in the final" full-time handshakes will now be replaced by the less appealing "Auf Wiedersehen until the last four."

    It is particularly bad news for France, Italy, Netherlands and Romania, which faces off in a tough Group C, with the two successful sides having to meet again in the semifinals if they both get through their respective quarters.

    That means there is no chance of a repeat of the 2006 World Cup final, when the Italians beat France on penalties, or the Euro 2000 final, when the French beat Italy with a golden goal.

    The disappearance of the system where anyone could play anyone in the final has also skewed the betting.

    Bookmakers do not like what faces the Group C teams but have shortened the odds on the likes of Germany, Spain and Portugal, which on paper has a potentially more straightforward path to the final.

    The reason for the format change this year is to equalize the rest periods during the knockout stage. Complaints were made in previous competitions that some teams gained an unfair advantage of up to a day and a half's more rest between games as the tournament progressed.

    "It was the only way it could be done," said UEFA director of communications William Gaillard.

    Four years ago, Portugal and Greece opened and closed the tournament, with Greece upsetting the party on both occasions by beating the host 2-1 in the opening game and 1-0 in the final.

    In Euro 96, Germany beat Czech Republic 2-0 in its first group game then beat it again in the final when Oliver Bierhoff's golden goal secured a 2-1 sudden death victory.

    In 1988, the Soviet Union beat Netherlands 1-0 in the group stage only for the Dutch to more than gain revenge by beating them 2-0 in the final.