Gary Lineker once said that “Soccer is a game for 22 people that run around, play the ball, and one referee who makes a slew of mistakes, and in the end Germany always wins”. By the time you might be reading it, this quotation might have transformed itself into a cliché.

However it seems he’s right. Germany, which with Italy, had the slowest start among the last eight of the Euro championship, are in the semi finals. They eliminated Ronaldo’s Portugal. Prior to the tournament many placed Portugal among the favourites of winning the trophy. Those who love the game also felt that this is Ronaldo’s year and as such, the Euro 2008 will be the right stage for him to make sure of emulating AC Milan’s KAKA success last year.

Ronaldo is not to blame for the Portuguese exit from the tournament. Germany reached the semi-final on merit. You might call them cynical. Some might find them boring. However one thing is for sure. They are consistent and that’s why Lineker’s quotation is topical every time there is an international football tournament.