Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo has the skill to set Euro 2008 alight although the stars of the show in Austria and Switzerland could well emerge from a group of promising players who have yet to become household names. Ronaldo, 23, who has just won a Champions League and Premier League double with Manchester United and been named England's Footballer of the Year for the second straight season, starts the tournament on a high after scoring 42 goals last term. The winger heads a list of established international giants such as Germany's Michael Ballack, France's Thierry Henry, Italy's Luca Toni and Ruud van Nistelrooy of Netherlands. They should all catch the eye as ever but the tournament also provides an opportunity for others to steal the spotlight. Franck Ribery has taken over Zinedine Zidane's mantle as the creative midfielder for France and, although his busy style is in total contrast to Zidane's, his impact is just as important. Midfielder Jeremy Toulalan and striker Karim Benzema, who helped secure a domestic double with Olympique Lyon this year, could also enhance their growing reputations with the French. Two other strikers also have the chance to display their skills to a global audience – Marco Borriello of Italy and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar of Netherlands. Borriello, 25, has blossomed since moving from AC Milan to promoted Genoa last year, leading the Serie A scoring charts for weeks and ending the season with 19 league goals. Huntelaar, 24, easily topped the list of scorers in the Dutch league with 33 goals for Ajax Amsterdam last term and will be anxious to shine and finally seal a move overseas. Two other young players who should catch the eye after impressive seasons for their clubs are Liverpool striker Fernando Torres and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Torres scored 33 goals in all competitions in his debut season in England while Fabregas could be back to his inventive best having had a few weeks rest following a long season. One player whose chances of making an impact have been restricted is playmaker Andrei Arshavin of Russia who is suspended for the first two matches. The 27-year-old, whose club Zenit St. Petersburg won the UEFA Cup last month, will miss its opening two games but could make a huge impact if Russia survives the group stage. Another midfielder likely to catch the eye is Croatia's Luka Modric, who has just signed for Tottenham Hotspur and directs the play for an outstanding team that could win the trophy. UEFA dumps Porto Porto has been excluded from next season's Champions League by European soccer's governing body UEFA over the alleged bribery of referees in the 2003-04 season, the Portuguese club said in a statement on Wednesday. Porto said it would try to overturn the decision.
