DUBAI, UAE - As a journalist working in Europe and the United States, I have taken freedom of press for granted.

Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer was refused a visa for a tournament in Dubai.

I have also never thought that one of my stories or television packages would or could be censored.

However, I have now realized that elsewhere, journalists don't enjoy these privileges.

While covering the story of Shahar Peer being denied an entry visa to the United Arab Emirate to play at the Dubai Championships, I was surprised to see how little the local media covered it, and how challenging it was to get anyone in the UAE to comment on the news.

Only three out of 10 Emirates newspapers did the story at all, and only one actually had a byline from local reporters. The other two quoted French Press.

When we tried to get a reaction on camera from someone from the government, the tournament or the sponsors, all our requests were denied.

It shows that people here are weary of exposing the controversial decisions taken by the establishment.

What was most surprising to me about the Peer denial and the local coverage of it was that I had always considered the UAE to be a liberal nation which was promoting itself as an economic and cultural force.

For years, it had successfully hosted a number of high profile sporting events and all the athletes I had spoken with had raved about the nation.

However, this development could prompt the Emirates to lose its right to host professional tennis tournaments in the future, and there could be further repercussions if other tours react in a similar fashion.

An unfortunate turn of events which comes to prove once again that sports and politics should not mix.

VIENNA, Austria – So it's all over. Spain are going home from Euro 2008 with the trophy and football fans are going home with some great memories from a colorful tournament.

If there is one thing that myself and the rest of the CNN crew covering Euro 2008 will remember from this event, it is the fantastic atmosphere between all the fans. In Vienna, there were at least 20,000 people every day in the Fan Zone - and there were never any signs of tension or violence.

Football supporters came from every corner of the globe to celebrate the beautiful game and rejoice together, no matter the score.

This was especially visible during the final itself. On Sunday night the Fan Zone was packed with 70,000 people and it turned into one of Europe's biggest parties. There was singing, dancing, laughing and crying as everyone got into the spirit.

Joining the Germans and Spanish were fans from as far away as Mexico and Brazil - and they just added more spice to the mix.

On the field, the tournament was also a success. From the drama of the Turkish victories to the anxiety of the penalty shoot-out between Spain and Italy and finally to the jubilation of Espana's triumph, football fans were thoroughly entertained.

Seventy-seven goals were scored in 31 matches – or an average of two-and-a-half goals per game, a statistic which shows the attacking philosophy most teams dsiplayed.

UEFA picked Spain midfielder Xavi as its man of the tournament, but my vote goes to Marcos Senna, who was tireless in the center of the park. Whether tackling, passing or dictating the rhythm of the game, the Brazilian-born anchorman was a joy to watch.

There are always disappointments at tournaments - and front and center this time round were Greece and France.

The defending champions left the tournament without a single point and will have to go back to the drawing board. Their defensive philosophy looked outdated and was never going to hold up for another tournament.

Les Bleus, meanwhile, looked old and tired as Raymond Domenech committed several mistakes in his squad selection. Phillipe Mexes, David Trezeguet and Mathieu Flamini should all have been playing. It doesn't mean they would have transformed France into champions, but they would have helped.

One final word on the fair play exhibited by most teams. There were only three red cards throughout the competition, and we didn't see any career-threatening tackles being made.

Overall, Euro 2008 was a success. The spotlight now shifts to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – and expectations will be high.

VIENNA, Austria – Here we are in Vienna waiting for the biggest game of the year to kick off. Around 70,000 people are expected in the city's fanzone to watch the title decider and in the hours leading up to the match, the atmosphere has been fantastic.

Singing, dancing and cheering, fans from Germany and Spain have created a party atmosphere which is a joy to watch. There is no hint of tension or violence as everyone just wants to enjoy the occasion.

The visitors number in the Vienna fanzone recently hit the one million mark for the tournament and everyone agrees that it has been a success. For the final day, over 2,500 extra police officers will be on duty in the city center to secure the area, but the operation will serve mostly as a precaution considering there have been no problems throughout the tournament.

As far as the game is concerned, it's the final a lot of people were wishing to see. Two heavyweights of European football locking horns after dramatically navigating their way past several opponents over the last three weeks.

Germany are going for their fourth title in six finals, while Spain are looking for their first major title since1964.

The game will bring together contrasting styles. Germany will rely on their direct and physical football to try to knock the technically gifted Spaniards off their game, while Spain will hope it's short and quick passing will help them break down the opposition's defense.

As an outsider, I'm just hoping to see a good game. I also look forward to watching the winning fans celebrate wildly at the final whistle!

VIENNA, Austria – So the big final is upon us and I can say without any reservations that I am excited. Euro 2008 has been an excellent tournament and I predict a title decider that will not disappoint. It will definitely be better than the finals of the last World Cup or Euro 2004.

Admittedly, intuition plays a large part in making any sporting prediction but I can back this one up with facts too.

First we have to take a look at the statistics. Both sides are averaging over two goals per game: Spain has hit the back of the net 11 times in six matches, while the Germans scored 10 goals in their games to date.

Recently Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told me the quality of the attackers was better than the quality of the defenders at this tournament. if this trend continues in Sunday's final then nil-nil is not an option.

Another factor which should contribute to an open game is the team philosophies of the title contenders. Neither side relies on one or two players, so that means even if Fernando Torres and Miroslav Klose have a bad game, goals could come from a variety of other sources.

Xavi, Silva, Fabregas and Iniesta can all score for Spain, while Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Ballack and Lahm are names that can get on the scoresheet for Germany.

The fact that none of the players on the pitch on Sunday have ever won a trophy with their national team should also make them try harder. If it was Italy versus France, it would be a different story entirely. But both sides are still young and although some players have enjoyed success at club level they have yet to make their mark with their country's colours.

There should be plenty of hunger out there and maybe the hungriest player of all will be Michael Ballack. The midfielder has lost four finals in his career, including two in the Champions League and one at the 2002 World Cup - although he was suspended for that game.

As if any extra motivation was needed, each German player will reportedly earn 250,000 euros for lifting the trophy; Spain's players can look forward to receiving a check worth 214,000 euros to go with a winner's medal.

Not bad eh? Let's hope they earn it!

Watch my package on football fever in Vienna.

VIENNA, Austria –The European Championships had never seen anything like it before. While Germany were handing Turkey a taste of their own medicine in the Basel semifinal, in neighboring Austria the CNN team we were being evacuated from Vienna's Fan Zone along with 25,000 football supporters.

The public viewing area in the Austrian capital has been filled with tens of thousands of fans for every match during Euro 2008, allowing spectators to view the action on giant screens and replicate the atmosphere present at the stadiums. On Wednesday it happened again, with Turkish and German supporters congregating in the area.

CNN producer Chris Eldergill, CNN cameraman Andrew Waller and myself were also there in the media centre.

All was going according to plan in the first half, but circumstances changed when a storm warning was issued over the public announcement system and on giant screens. We all thought it was just being done as a precaution - but soon found out we were wrong.

During the second half, the winds suddenly started to intensify and lightning began to strike. Another warning was issued and this time the message was clear - everyone had to evacuate the premises.

As heavy rain began to pound down, fans were cleared by police and security. By this time we had lost the signal from the game as a power cut in the International Broadcast Centre in Vienna affected the world feed. We started to feel helpless, unable to follow the football and facing the prospect of having our equipment outside damaged by the rain.

Our initial plan had been to produce several live reports, but that idea was scrapped because of the conditions. All we could do was wait and watch.

Outside the rain continued to fall and the wind swirled. The evacuation operation continued with success, although later we heard reports of two serious injuries after some fans were trampled near the fences.

The game was clearly not a priority by now. As news filtered through that Germany had scored a last minute goal in Basle, we were told that it was our turn to evacuate the area. Soon riot police and security started to usher us out.

As we left the building with our equipment under heavy rain, we called headquarters in Atlanta, filing a live report on what we were up against in Vienna. We finally managed to get back to our hotel at 1am, minus our belongings. Not what we had expected at the start of the evening...

– CNN sports producer Chris Eldergill also contributed to this report

VIENNA, Austria - Imagine 70,000 passionate football fans from every corner of the globe gathering in your city center...You have just pictured the fan zone at Euro 2008 in Vienna.

A sizeable part of the city centre from the Rathausplatz to the Heldenplatz has been closed to traffic to host football supporters from all over the world. The kilometer-long strip features 10 giant screens where fans can watch every second of the action - but there are many other things to do.

You can play football yourself, take part in a variety of games and activities related to the beautiful game, and of course, eat and drink as much as you like.

Considering tickets to the games have been very hard to come by, the fan zone has been a great solution to get the atmosphere and passion you would see at the stadiums.

So far, during our stay in Vienna, the most picturesque scene took place before, during and after Friday night's Croatia versus Turkey quarterfinal. There are large immigrant communities from both nations here in the Austrian capital, and tens of thousands of fans dressed in blue and red poured into the city centre to follow the game.

There were screams, chants, tears and laughs as the drama on the pitch had everyone on the edge. When Fatih Terim's side miraculously scored an equalizer in extra time and later won the penalty shoot-out, a wild party errupted as the Turks celebrated long into the night.

Organizers are expecting the total attendance of the Vienna fan zone to reach the one million mark as more and more people flock to the area ahead of the big final next Sunday.

If you happen to travel to the Austrian capital over the next week, be sure to make a stop there.

MOSCOW, Russia - There had been fears here in Moscow that the English invasion of football fans could bring with it destruction and chaos. But so far everyone has been well behaved and I have only seen a festive atmosphere leading up to the big kickoff.

Thousands of fans keep flocking to Red Square, one of Moscow's main attractions, to savor the build-up to the most important match of the season. Draped in their teams' colors, they sing, chant and dream about a victory here tonight.

Some of the more decorated fans have enjoyed celebrity status among the Muscovites, with photo requests in abundance. The lucky few have even been asked for autographs!

Everything is moving along smoothly as kick-off approaches. So far, so good.