Kiev: Mario Balotelli has grown up and is no longer like Peter Pan, the Italian striker told a news conference on Saturday ahead of Italy's Euro 2012 quarter-final against England. Balotelli was responding to comments made by his agent Mina Raiola, who compared his client to the fictional character created by JM Barrie who could fly and refused to grow up. "I think these are metaphors for Mario the person,...
12:04 PM, Jun 24, 2012
Donetsk: France coach Laurent Blanc remained tightlipped over his future after the team's 2-0 loss to Spain on Saturday in the European Championship quarter-finals. Blanc's contract with the French Football Federation expires at the end of the month. He wanted a new contract before Euro 2012, but FFF President Noel Le Graet preferred to wait until after the tournament before making a decision. "We're out of the competition and we're...
09:05 AM, Jun 24, 2012
Donetsk: France midfielder Samir Nasri reportedly aimed an expletive-laced rant at a journalist following Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Spain in the European Championship quarter-finals. Nasri was walking through the post-match interview area when the heated exchange took place after the journalist asked him for a reaction to the defeat. Reports added that Nasri, as the row escalated, then challenged the journalist to take their argument further. Nasri, who came on...
08:59 AM, Jun 24, 2012
Donetsk: Spain set up an all-Iberian semi-final with Portugal as they earned a 2-0 win over France with a workmanlike display in the last eight at the Donbass Arena. France rarely posed a threat as La Furia Roja bossed the game in large parts, opening the scoring midway through the first half as Xabi Alonso headed in as he completed a century of international appearances. Despite an improved performance in...
02:00 AM, Jun 24, 2012
CNN-IBN panel of experts discuss the third quarter-final clash between Spain and France. ...
09:02 PM, Jun 23, 2012
Krakow: England and Italy, two teams packed with experience but spiced by youth and some volatility, meet in Kiev on Sunday in probably the most intriguing of the Euro 2012 quarter-final ties. Clashing for the first time in more than a decade, England have met Italy only twice at major tournaments with the Italians winning a 1980 European Championship group game 1-0 in Turin and a 1990 World Cup third-place...
08:07 PM, Jun 23, 2012
Krakaow: Italy and England, who meet in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals on Sunday, have dreadful records in penalty shootouts with the Azzurri's 2006 World Cup final triumph a rare bright spot in an otherwise sorry tale of woe. The chances that the game in Kiev goes the distance appear quite high with players and pundits all saying the two defensively-minded sides are evenly matched. The average bookmaker odds on the...
07:56 PM, Jun 23, 2012
London: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has pleaded with enigmatic striker Mario Balotelli not to cause problems for Italy coach Cesare Prandelli. The hot-headed forward is hoping to start for the Azzurri when they take on England in Sunday's Euro 2012 quarter-final, after coming off the bench to score against Republic of Ireland on Monday in the last Group C fixture. Mancini believes the 21-year-old is Italy's best striker, and...
12:34 AM, Jun 23, 2012
Gdansk: Desperate to find a sense of unity, the French squad only needs to look at Spain and its leading player Andres Iniesta as role models. Les Bleus will get a very close view on Saturday, facing Iniesta and his teammates in the European Championship quarterfinals. Iniesta has quietly been the standout player of Euro 2012, twice voted Man-of-the-Match after exemplifying the Spanish "band of brothers" mentality. France, meanwhile, continues...
08:47 PM, Jun 22, 2012
Gianfranco Zola believes Italy have what it takes to challenge the top teams at Euro 2012, tipping them as "dark horses" to overcome England in the quarter-finals and go on to win the tournament. The Azzurri finished second in Group C, having taken five points off of Spain, Croatia and the Republic of Ireland to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition and set up a last eight clash...
09:31 PM, Jun 21, 2012
Madrid: Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta has insisted that the reigning World Cup champions have not lost their desire to win titles. La Roja are widely regarded as favourites to win Euro 2012, but have shown in Poland and Ukraine only glimpses of the form which saw them crowned European champions four years ago. "It is wrong to think that there is less hunger than in previous times, you never lose...
08:42 PM, Jun 21, 2012
Kiev: UEFA president Michel Platini revealed that he was hoping to see Germany meet Spain in the final of Euro 2012. The 2008 finalists won their respective groups to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition and Platini would like to see the two countries go all the way. "I would like the final to be between Germany and Spain," Platini told reporters at a press conference in Warsaw. Platini...
12:41 AM, Jun 20, 2012
Warsaw: UEFA has fined Croatia's football association 80,000 ($101,000) after fans racially abused Italy forward Mario Balotelli at a European Championship match. The charges related to "the setting-off and throwing of fireworks, and the improper conduct of supporters (racist chants, racist symbols)," UEFA said in a statement. The fine is 20,000 ($25,000) less than the UEFA disciplinary panel ordered Denmark forward Nicklas Bendtner to pay one day earlier for revealing...
08:43 PM, Jun 19, 2012
CNN-IBN's football experts rank Spain far from their best despite having reached the quarter-finals. ...
10:59 AM, Jun 19, 2012
Gdansk: Once again, Spain's veteran goalkeeper showed why his nickname is "Saint Iker." Iker Casillas bailed out his disorganised defence over and over in the second half on Monday, making two clutch saves to preserve Spain's 1-0 victory over Croatia and send the defending champions to the European Championship quarter-finals. "He can really save well in the important moments and that's what we need to have between the goal posts,"...
10:40 AM, Jun 19, 2012
Poznan, Poland: Mario Balotelli finally broke his scoring drought at the European Championship, and he apparently has team-mate Leonardo Bonucci to thank for preventing his breakthrough moment from turning sour. Balotelli came off the bench and scored a spectacular second goal for Italy in the 90th minute of a 2-0 win over Ireland on Monday that put the Azzurri into the quarter-finals. Immediately after he scored, Bonucci rushed over and...
10:11 AM, Jun 19, 2012
Poznan: Italy have qualified for the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 as Group C runners-up thanks to a narrow 2-0 victory over Republic of Ireland here on Monday evening. Cesare Prandelli's men were on top for the majority of the first half, and a header from Antonio Cassano 15 minutes before half time gave the Azzurri a lead to hold on to. Mario Balotelli then stepped up to seal the victory...
02:21 AM, Jun 19, 2012
Gdansk: Spain have qualified for the Euro 2012 quarter-finals after an uninspiring 1-0 win against Croatia at the PGE Arena on Monday. Neither side seemed in any hurry to snatch the initiative throughout, with La Roja's famed tiki-taka football failing to break down a determined defensive barrier set up by Slaven Bilic's men. The match seemed destined to end in a stalemate, but with two minutes remaining, substitute Jesus Navas...
02:16 AM, Jun 19, 2012
