First he slept at his mother’s house. On Tuesday, June 3, when the other 22 German internationals flew from Frankfurt Rhein-Main Airport to Lugano, Oliver Neuville said goodbye to his mother, his sister and his 11-year-old son and drove to the Hotel Giardino just a few streets away. Neuville grew up in the village of Ascona on Lago Maggiore with its 5,500 inhabitants, where the German national team have taken up residence during the UEFA European Football Championship™ 2008. “I have never spent a night in a hotel here. This is the first time”, Neuville disclosed.

One week previously he had learned he would spend most days of the UEFA European Football Championship™ 2008 at Ascona. But initially Neuville didn’t know whether he would be chosen as part of the 23-player UEFA European Football Championship™ squad of the German Football Association, DFB. “If I hadn’t been nominated, I would have spent my holidays here”, said Neuville. On Wednesday, May 28, shortly before the UEFA entry deadline, he heard he had been chosen for his first ever European Championship at the ripe old age of 35. Neuville is a quiet player and a man of few words. One may assume that his dearest wish has come true at this advanced stage of his football career.

On Saturday, May 31, when he scored the 1-1 equaliser (74th) 180 seconds after being sent on as a substitute and eventually helped pave the way for the final 2-1 (0-1) victory over Serbia, the veteran player used the last 20 minutes to justify his inclusion. German national coach Joachim Loew also called on Neuville’s experience, preferring him in attack to Neuville’s 16 years younger Gladbach team-mate Mirko Marin and Cologne’s Patrick Helmes. When he was sent on in the first friendly prior to the European finals against Belarus (2-2) in Kaiserslautern in May 27, the attack really took off. However, two goals were also conceded during that time.

The oldest player in the German team apart from goalkeeper Jens Lehmann had competed at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups™, but was not in the squads at the 2000 and 2004 UEFA European finals. “It was quite hard to be left out shortly before the deadline. In 2000 I was told by Erich Ribbeck on the phone two hours before the nomination. In 2004 it was clear for some time that I wouldn’t be considered”.

Participating is everything – that’s no motto for Neuville after 12 tough training days in Majorca. The man from Ticino is hoping to play in the first group match of UEFA EURO 2008™ against Poland in Klagenfurt on Sunday, June 8. He realises he is fighting for the twelfth position, the first attacking substitute. “At the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ I also was the first substitute player”, he said. Loew praises him because “he is capable of focussing fully. Olli does not need a long time to adjust when he is sent on to the pitch”. Neuville impressively proved this capability with his legendary goal which brought the 1-0 win over Poland in the second group match during the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in Dortmund. “It was the most emotional goal of my career”, he said.

He does not believe that he will serve as a tourist guide for his team-mates in Ascona, where the German team will stay for the duration of UEFA EURO 2008™. “We are not on holiday here. The only thing that counts is the European Championship”, he said. But he knows his way around. He was born at Locarno, just five kilometres from the Hotel Giardino. He grew up in Ascona and played club football 15 km away at Gambarno, where his father Jupp, who came from Aachen, was a coach. Then he moved to FC Locarno, a second division club in Switzerland. Aged 18 he had his first training course with the club at Tenero, where he will now be sweating together with the German national team. “Many memories are resurfacing”, he discloses.

That same year he turned professional, moved on to Servette Geneva and became an itinerant footballer. His mother tongue is Italian, his second language is French, useful in Geneva. He improved his Spanish during his time with the then Primera Division club Tenerife. He also speaks a passable English. Neuville learned German quite late after his move to Hansa Rostock in 1997. He attracted so much attention that even the Italian Football Association noticed him. But Neuville, whose mother Carmen is Italian, decided in favour of the German national team, received German nationality and earned the first of his 68 caps (10 goals, prior to UEFA EURO 2008™) against Malta (2-1) in Valetta on September 2, 1998.

In 1999 he signed with Leverkusen, where he was a regular player for five years. Since then he has been with Borussia Moenchengladbach for almost as long, and from July 1 will begin his fifth season with the newly promoted Bundesliga club. A year ago, when Gladbach were relegated, Neuville wanted to play it safe in order not to endanger his chance of participating at UEFA EURO 2008™. “I only signed when Jogi said to me it wouldn’t be a problem if I played with a second division club. ‘I know what you are capable of’”. Oliver Neuville now wants to prove his worth, first against Poland, then against Croatia and Austria, and then against three further opponents.

After 12 years without a German win at UEFA European Football Championships™ the “Oldie” would like to help the three-time European champions back on the track to success.