Lovesick Lamps

Group A
Team	Pl	Pts
Portugal	3	6
Turkey	3	6
Czech Republic	3	3
Switzerland	3	3

Group B
Team	Pl	Pts
Croatia	3	9
Germany	3	6
Austria	3	1
Poland	3	1

Group C
Team	Pl	Pts
Holland	3	9
Italy	3	4
Romania	3	2
France	3	1

Group D
Team	Pl	Pts
Spain	3	9
Russia	3	6
Sweden	3	3
Greece	3	0

Lampard and Mourinho: He loves me, he loves me not

As England players and fans alike watch proceedings in Austria and Switzerland with their feet up, an intriguing love story is developing back home.

England and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard and Serie A champions Internazionale have held respective twinkles in their eyes for sometime, however the arrival of former Blues boss Jose Mourinho at Giuseppe Meazza has seen passions reach fever pitch.

With no football to keep him occupied this June, and if reports are to be believed, Lampard has had his head turned by a sultry Italian beauty in the form of Inter, as if a man who has grown a tad bored of his significant other and has been influenced by a little holiday romance.

The stereotypical view of any 'bloke' still ruing England's Euro 2008 inactivity would be of an idle character lounged lengthways in front of the television, lager in hand, criticising the continent's finest for any sign of emotion in one breath, and for the length of their sideburns in another.

However, Lampard and his pink - or should that be salmon? - Ibiza beach attire seems capable of demonstrating that Englishmen also possess sentiment as he wrestles with the prickly conundrum of leaving Chelsea, his partner of seven years, in favour of moving in with a European stud subtly tugging at his heart strings.

At the centre of Lampard's dilemma is Mourinho and, as any Liverpool fan who was forced to helplessly watch on as the then Chelsea chief chased Kop idol Steven Gerrard a couple of years ago will testify, the Portuguese is not one to give up easily.

For members of Merseyside, witnessing Mourinho and Chelsea's, ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to lure Gerrard was like seeing someone flirt with your girlfriend as you powerlessly look on, and now, for the Stamford Bridge faithful, the boot is on the other foot.

Real Madrid are overtly coveting Manchester United winger Ronaldo, but Inter's pursuit of Lampard has a far greater smack of Englishness about it - we all know how both parties feel, but neither can bring themselves to utter those three little words.

Lampard and Mourinho have both stopped short of expressing their true feelings, but the former has previously admitted admiration of his ex-manager, while Inter president Massimo Moratti is acting as the latter's message boy delivering longing hints of 'No.1 targets' from one side of the playground to the other.

Whether Lampard and Inter end up behind the bike sheds remains to be seen, but Mourinho, who insists he enjoys an excellent relationship with all his former players, is unlikely to give up on the thrill of the chase anytime soon.