By Phil McNulty and Paul Fletcher Our men in Portugal

Luiz Felipe Scolari

Greece's support on their way to the final at Euro 2004 has been nothing if not fanatical, even from the supposedly impartial press.

This was taken to a new level by one individual in the media centre for the semi-final, who wore a Greece shirt and had his face painted in their colours.

He then took his place in the press stand and started writing his match report for the 1-0 silver goal win over the Czech Republic.

Shameless.

Euro 2004 press have been able to buy a cable for five euros giving them broadband internet at the stadiums.

This has led to chaotic battles to aquire a seat within range of a connection point.

The lucky journalists have surfed the net at top speed and looked on at the others with smug satisfaction.

This all changed at Estadio do Dragao on Thursday, however, when a virus swept through the server and caused mass panic.

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is a man of the people - fond of the grand gesture to his now adoring public.

But he showed his human side, at Portugal's training ground on Thursday, talking to visitors from Japan and allowing them to take photographs.

This was in sharp contrast to Sven-Goran Eriksson, who had a security man to walk 20 feet with him from England's media centre to his people carrier.

It's not just tactics where "Big Phil" beats Eriksson hands down.

Portugal's celebrations after the semi-final win against Holland went on long into the night - too long for some.

Nuno Gomes and Helder Postiga were at Portugal's base camp on Thursday when a lone snore was heard.

One of the Portuguese press corps was fast asleep, despite the atmosphere of joy, noise and happy banter.

Gomes and Postiga tried to rouse the sleeping beauty and eventually he came back to the land of the living, albeit looking a little tired and emotional.

Holland forward Rafael van der Vaart played a peripheral role for his country at Euro 2004.

But the 21-year-old Ajax player is undoubtedly extremely talented and has hinted that a move to the Premiership would suit him.

"I would like to move to the Premiership. I think it is a nice league to play in," he told BBC Sport.

"And of course you have Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool - all great clubs."