The big match? That's Scolari v the English Press

Sunday Mirror, Jun 15, 2008 by MICHAEL CALVIN

THIS is no ordinary spat between Les Rosbifs and the Cheese- Eating Surrender Monkeys.

This is personal!

Michel Platini, the UEFA president, has the air of a man who has seen his wife being swept away in a stretch limo owned by the local gigolo. He has been embarrassed on his own turf, and is bitter beyond reason.

His revenge on the socalled "cheats" of English football will be long and lingering.

Platini has been powerless to prevent the Premier League overshadowing his tournament.

The most anticipated fixture in Euro 2008 yesterday was Big Phil Scolari against Her Majesty's Press.

The supposed main event, Spain's Group D game with Sweden in Innsbruck, was reduced to a superannuated version of The Apprentice.

Would Roman hire David Villa, or would his scary assistants plunge the knife in? It was just another audition for Chelsea FC.

Villa won the game with a flash of trademark brilliance.

He is bright, technically gifted. His movement is intelligent, suited perfectly to the modern role of second striker. His partnership with Fernando Torres offers Spain insurance against defending as dodgy as his tufty goatee.

His goal will probably inflate his fee beyond pounds 30m, but who's counting?

Abramovich's petrodollars have changed the landscape.

The arrogance of the assumption that he can buy anyone or anything is astounding, but understandable.

Money doesn't talk these days. It screams.

Manchester United are steeling themselves to beg Cristiano Ronaldo to accept an inflated contract. Arsenal and Liverpool suddenly have the hangdog look of selling clubs.

Nations are cowering in the face of Chelsea's financial muscle. Portugal's attempt to win the Euro 2008 title has become a sideshow. Their players are judged largely by their potential to follow Scolari into the Premier League.

Deco is a done deal. Joao Moutinho looks the natural successor to Claude Makelele, who has become slow and spiteful. Jose Boswinga, signed from Porto for pounds 16.2m, looks like yet another Chelsea right back who expects to get by on attacking intent alone.

Ricardo Quaresma looks suspiciously like Ronaldo Lite, but wingers hold the key to Scolari's system.

He may benefit from France's failure, which has exposed Florent Malouda as being physically weak and mentally flawed.

We should also prepare for a quick bout of deja vu. Any time now, Nicolas Anelka will be suggesting it is his dream to play for Marseilles, Middlesbrough or anyone else capable of coughing up a sizeable signing-on fee.

The irony is that players rejected by Chelsea - Khalid Boulahrouz and Arjen Robben - have been prominent in Holland's emergence At least, with all this talk of Scolari's unlimited transfer budget, we can nail one convenient fiction. Chelsea have no intention of operating as a normal business, and breaking even.

Prudence is for others, like the FA. They might as well save the pounds 15m earmarked for a doomed 2018 World Cup bid.

Platini and his allies on FIFA would rather hold the tournament in a swamp than in the land that gave the world the Premier League.