It's here!

4 years of waiting has finally ended. Euro 2008 is about to begin. 16 countries will battle it out to determine Europe's finest team.

I'm not going to make any predictions. I'm only interested in the underdogs at these tournaments. They provide the sensational stories and create the biggest shocks, which for me is what major tournaments are all about. The further they go, the more interest is sustained in the tournament. Even neutrals get sucked in by the atmosphere and spectacle which only underdogs can create.

It's a unique experience and I've witnessed two unbelievable stories between 2004 and now. Greece were the last winners of the Euros and Iraq pulled off a similarly astonishing feat by winning the Asian Cup. These teams managed to go all the way and stunned the millions watching them. A rare feat, but one which creates the ultimate football tale. I've been fortunate to have seen two such stories. Those slightly older than me may have witnessed Denmark's Euro 92 triumph.

The point I'm trying to put across is that for those who have no connections to the participating nations, why support the big teams? All the big teams are almost guaranteed to win each and every time. What's the fun in that? It's much more interesting watching a smaller team worry one of the big ones. I've seen Italian, Spanish, Dutch, French, Portuguese supporters etc. But no one seems to be pulling for the small teams. Why worry so much about winning when you're not even connected to the country you support in the slightest? Isn't the football on show meant to be what we're watching? It's quite amusing watching a Chinese man getting annoyed at a referee because Luca Toni is denied a penalty. Or an Indian celebrating wildly, waving his shirt in the air because Franck Ribery scored for the French. Sure I support a club team, but they've become global entities. The various nationalities within clubs allows for such passion. However, I'm not so convinced about mixing noodles with pizza or dhal with baguettes.

I'll be watching Euro 2008 with great interest. I don't support any team because I'm not affiliated with them in any way. But you can be sure I will be following the progress of the smaller teams very closely.