SOCCER:THE DRIZZLE never stopped yesterday in Zurich, where final preparations were being made for the start of Euro 2008.

We might not have produced the stadiums in time and our transport systems certainly would not have been up to the task, but Ireland and Scotland could have easily held their own weatherwise had their joint bid to stage this tournament succeeded.

Despite occasional doubts these past six years about their ability to keep all the commitments they made to land the event, the Swiss and Austrians look to have everything in place for this tournament to be a great success.

The stadiums are ready and the organisers and sponsors have been busying themselves with the details. By the lake in the Swiss capital, a sprawling village of tents and stalls is still being built ahead of Monday's first game here. And in the main station the sight of giant shirts and shorts being applied to vast models of players expected to light up the tournament had locals stopping and staring toward the heavens.

It's unlikely to take off with the Swiss quite the way Euro 2004 did with the Portuguese, who danced and sang almost till dawn every time their team won a game, but the hosts here are eager to embrace a great football tournament.

For a competition that always promises so much, however, the European Championship has lately made a habit of producing winners that merit respect for their achievement but little affection for the football they've played.

After Germany, having beaten his England side in a semi-final penalty shoot-out, won the competition for the third time at Wembley in 1996, Terry Venables was asked what he admired about them. "Their results," came the reply, and it's hard to imagine he would have been more expansive to a similar inquiry about the Greeks four years ago.

Giovanni Trapattoni cites the success of Greece in Portugal as an example to Ireland, the veteran Italian recently summing up their triumph with the words, "corner, corner, corner, free kick."

Let's hope, however, that when the dust settles on this year's final the winning formula does not fit so snugly into a nutshell.

That the Greeks are back is a matter of great credit to Otto Rehhagel and his players, particularly after they could manage only fourth in their last World Cup qualifying group, something most of us took as underlining the flash-in-the-pan nature of their Lisbon success.

Still, they'll forgive us, we trust, if we hope they don't manage a repeat performance. Euro 2004 would have been more fondly recalled if the Portuguese, Czechs or Dutch had gone on to lift the trophy and the next few weeks will be more enjoyable if flair rather than fortitude is a key component of the winning side's armoury.

The relative strengths of the leading sides make it difficult to predict with confidence who will win and that in itself augurs well for the next three weeks.

Though their status as pre-tournament favourites looks flattering, the Germans are bound to do better than four years ago.

And the Italians, having become World champions in the interim, have the capacity to end their long series of disappointments in this competition.

With the last of the golden generation finally departed, it seems a Portugal inspired by new stars could achieve the success their predecessors never did.

France, the Netherlands and Spain are among others to have travelled here in the belief they can emerge triumphant in Vienna on June 29th.

There will be a few big names missing as the leading contenders set about launching their campaigns over the coming days. The likes of Italian skipper Fabio Cannavaro and Czech midfield star Tomas Rosicky have been forced out by injury; David Trezeguet of France and Spain's Raul have simply been left at home, decisions that have raised the stakes for the respective managers.

In truth, it would be no great pity to see Luis Aragones, whose departure after this tournament is already certain, go out on a low.

But the Spanish still have the capacity to become wonderful champions and the veteran coach has probably done well to make matters that much more clearcut by leaving the Real striker behind.

In every area of the pitch, the Spanish are strong and their record coming into the event is second to none.

If Carles Puyol can shake off the misery of the season endured at Barcelona, Fernando Torres can maintain the form shown during his first season at Liverpool and Aragones can successfully accommodate the talents of his attacking midfielders, his side really might end 44 years of underachievement over the next 23 days.

For the tournament's sake it would be good, too, if at least one of the host nations makes it to at least the last eight, though with Austrian supporters having organised a petition to have their side withdrawn lest they prove an embarrassment it seems the Swiss are our best hope in this department.

Switzerland's prospects were boosted yesterday by the news that their most inventive midfielder, Tranquillo Barnetta, is fit for selection after recovering from an ankle problem. The experienced defender Patrick Muller is also in with a shout of starting despite having missed the whole season with a knee-ligament injury.

The Swiss could certainly do with being at full strength against the Czechs for their record over 30 games against this evening's opponents is not great. Karel Bruckner has almost a full squad to choose from after Marek Jankulovski (remember him) and skipper Tomas Ujfalusi were declared fit, with only Zdenek Popech (virus) definitely ruled out.

Outsiders have fared relatively well in the event over the years, and Russia, Croatia and the Czechs all have the potential to surprise. Ultimately, though, it's an ability to thrill we must hope that the 13th champions of Europe possess in abundance.