Featured Articles / Editor / 05 June 2008 / Leave a comment

Okay, so England and none of the other home nations made it to Euro 2008 but we´ll all end up becoming experts on the rest of European football in the next fortnight. Betfair talked exclusively to BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce who will be one of the men helping us follow the tournament.

When did you have to start doing your homework to be ready for this?

As soon as I knew which games I was doing which was back in March. The bosses give you the list and that´s when you can start preparing, getting tapes of the teams you are going to be doing, and if you can go and see them live. I did that before the World Cup finals, because it's the very best way to get to recognise players, but this time it wasn´t possible. You´ve got to try to make sure you can spot players instantly, as well as getting all the boigraphy notes ready.

How do you go about that? Does it mean sitting in a darkened room looking at pictures?

Pretty much. For the last two years I've been taping religiously every round of qualifying matches, they are always shown on one channel or another. You then get a library together of the countries you are doing. I get other stuff off the internet, I'm a member of a website that the managers and scouts use. It's fantastic - it gives you loads of information on players, the number of games they have played, how many goals they've scored, that's always one that I like to throw in in the opening games, somebody is the top scorer in their league or whatever, and then you accumulate notes and notes and notes. Hopefully you don't use 95 per cent of it because if the game is good you don't have to use it.

So which games are you doing early on?

I start with Germany against Poland, then Spain v Russia, followed by Germany v Croatia, then Spain v Greece.

Nice work if you can get it! How do you try and balance all the facts with enjoying the excitement of the games?

I think especially early on in a tournament it works to use a lot of facts and background material, but only really in the first hour of a game. Once it has gone beyond an hour I don't think you should be throwing in factual information, the game has developed and is coming to its climax. That's what I try to do, I'm not saying that´s the given rule for everybody, but that's my aim. Then as the tournament goes on you try to use facts less and less because people have heard it before, and you are looking to use stuff from the tournament itself. Throw back to performances in the tournament, not necessarily factually but let's say, 'Mario Gomez didn't have a good opening game against Poland, he needs to improve´, that sort of thing..

Does all the research come naturally, were you an anorak as a kid for keeping football facts and figures?

Probably a bit, but not totally. I´ve been lucky because I've been involved in football since I was 12. My Dad worked at Bristol City and used to film the games for Alan Dicks, and I used to go along and help him, then I went into local radio covering sport, so I've always been around football all my adult life. I've always been around footballers and managers and lived in that environment, so I've sort of naturally picked up information on players, I like listening and talking to managers and old players and stuff just sort of sticks with me like that

So how much will you rely on homework and how much from your own knowledge?

It´s a bit like doing O levels and A levels when you were at school. A lot of what you learn you do parrot fashion, but then it stays in your brain for years and years. Stuff that I'm now redoing, I'm thinking 'I already know that'. A lot of stuff on the websites I know. But in terms of sitting down now and looking up the current stats I don't find it easy, it's a bugbear to be honest and I find it more and more difficult to make myself sit down and do the stats. Watching the videos is a different matter, I love that, but the stats is hard work

So having watched all those games, you must have a pretty good idea who will do well?

There's always something to surprise you, but my last four will be Portugal, Germany, Italy and Spain. I've backed Spain so many times before, and lost so much money doing it, over the years, but I think this time they are more united behind the Spanish flag rather than being divided into ethnic cliques within the dressing room. If Ronaldo flies then Portgual are a stronger team than two years ago, and two years ago they were stronger than in their own Euro finals. This is Scolari's last big shout with them and that's the team I've backed to win it. But I think it could well be a Portgual v Spain final, especially because Cannevaro will be really badly missed by Italy. The Germans lost to the Czech Republic I know, and people are saying they don't have Klinsmann this time, but Joachim Low has still got the people who did most of the tactical stuff in the World Cup finals anyway.

You don't fancy France then?

I think they will be strong at the back, very resolute, but I can´t see them scoring enough goals. I know that sounds strange when they've got Thierry Henry, the record goalscorer for the country, but that's how I feel.

Is there a player we've not heard of about to make an impact?

if Mario Gomez gets a run in the German side he could emerge, but can he get picked in front of Klose? Jeremy Toulalan the French defensive midfield player, if he gets a run, could be recognised. He's not a fantastic player like a Ronaldo but very effective. In my first game there's Euzebiusz Smolarek the Polish player who plays for Racing Santander in Spain. For Spain I think we could see how good Ioniesta is. But the thing is now there are so many games on TV and so many magazines and internet sites people have heard about all these players.

One we know all about, Fernando Torres, do you think he'll take it all by storm?

Quite possibly. I fancy the two dominant players in the Premier League could meet in the final. I think Spain have a fantastic team on paper, although I'm not sure about the centre backs. People say Portugal don´t have a 20 goal a season striker up front, but they have got Ronaldo. They don't have to have a prolific centre forward because they have Ronaldo who is prolific anyway.

Thanks for your time and enjoy the tournament. We've a £50 free bet for your favourite charity.

I was very proud to raise nearly £13,000 for the Lily Foundation which I set up with my brother-in-law to raise money after the tragic loss of my little niece. We're trying to help research into Mitochondrial Disease and other metabolic disorders. As for the bet I´ll stick with backing Portugal at [8.8].

Tags: Euro 2008, Jonathan Pearce