BRUSSELS -- Former England manager Terry Venables is tipping France to win the European Championship. Venables, who led England to the semifinals of Euro 96 in England, has been impressed by the improvement in the French team since it won the World Cup two years ago.
"France have really impressed me," he noted in an interview with The Japan Times in a Brussels hotel. "I think France will win it. They are better than the World Cup team and have turned into an excellent all-round unit. (David) Trezeguet, (Thierry) Henry and even (Christophe) Dugarry are all better players than they used to be.
"Portugal have also been good to watch and, of course, Holland. Spain, too, once they got rid of their first lineup. I've watched quite a bit of Spanish football and couldn't believe the team. All their best players were on the bench for the first game.