Group C

Croatia to face stubborn opponents Ireland

Poznan: Anyone who found the manner of Chelsea's Champions League triumph hard to digest is advised to look elsewhere when rank outsiders Ireland face Croatia in their Euro 2012 opener on Sunday. Chelsea proved it is possible to overcome vastly more gifted opponents with well-organised blanket defence, the odd counter-attack and a generous portion of luck in their wins over Barcelona and Bayern Munich. It remains to be seen how...  

Silva hopes to play key part for Spain this time

GDANSK: Overlooked at the 2010 World Cup, David Silva is hoping to play a key part in helping Spain to defend its European Championship title. The world champions will face Italy in Group C on Sunday. Silva started five of six matches when Spain won Euro 2008 in Vienna. But after starting in a 1-0 loss to Switzerland in South Africa, coach Vicente del Bosque left the playmaker out of...  

Spain hold upper hand against Italy

Gdansk: Spain will go into Sunday's Group C opener against old foes Italy with a swagger that was missing from past encounters after a pivotal moment in their rivalry four years ago. It is widely accepted that the moment the Spanish turned from underachievers into an all-conquering outfit was when Cesc Fabregas stroked in the decisive penalty in the quarter-final shootout against the Italians at Euro 2008. Italy had been...  

Champions of Europe: Cream of Europe to compete

CNN-IBN panel of experts analyses the teams and other factors ahead of the upcoming Euro 2012 opener. ...

Euro 2012: Let the beautiful game begin

The Euro 2012 will kick off on Friday, with 16 nations battling for the most prestigious European football trophy. ...

Spain not under pressure, insists Albiol

Madrid: Real Madrid defender Raul Albiol does not believe that there is any risk of Spain buckling under the pressure at Euro 2012, arguing that Vicente Del Bosque's men will actually savour their status as favourites. There is a huge sense of expectancy surrounding the reigning world and European champions, who are bidding to become the first side to win three successive international tournaments. However, Albiol is in no doubt...  

Modric fully recovered from tough season

Warka, Poland: Put on a special training program, Croatia's star midfielder Luka Modric has recovered from an exhausting season with Tottenham and is ready to lead his country's challenge for the European Championship, coach Slaven Bilic said on Thursday. In the run-up to Euro 2012, Bilic conceded that Modric was jaded and that he needed to be refreshed. Joining the rest of the squad late and being given a lighter...  

Croatia's Ivo Ilicevic ruled out of Euro 2012

Warka, Poland: Croatia midfielder Ivo Ilicevic has been ruled out of the European Championship because of a left calf injury. Coach Slaven Bilic said on Thursday that UEFA has given Croatia permission to replace the Hamburg midfielder with 20-year-old Sime Vrsaljko. Ilicevic's injury came during training on Wednesday and the expectation at the time was that it was only a minor strain. But Bilic says doctors in Warsaw ruled the...  

Euro 2012 refs to stop games if any racial abuse

Warsaw: UEFA president Michel Platini promised that referees will stop European Championship matches if players suffer abuse from fans, as questions on racism in Poland and Ukraine dominated a news conference on Wednesday to launch the tournament. Platini said UEFA has empowered referees to "temporarily stop the game and finally cancel the game if this racism keeps rearing its head." Concern was fueled by a British television program last week...  

Spain should be scared of us: Chiellini

Gdansk: Giorgio Chiellini has dismissed the suggestion that Italy should be worried of what is awaiting them in Gdansk on Sunday evening, insisting it is Spain who should be "scared" of the Azzurri. The Azzurri's preparations for their Euro 2012 opener have been far from ideal, given Scommessopoli has deprived them of first-choice left-back Domenico Criscito, while injury has ruled defender Andrea Barzagli out of the group stages. There is...  

Spain or Portugal will win Euro: Ronaldo

Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo believes that Spain are the favourites to win Euro 2012, but he is also confident of Portugal's chances in Poland and Ukraine. The Real Madrid forward hailed the reigning European champions as he thinks they have enough quality to cope with the absence of some key players, before adding that Vicente del Bosque would be able to field two teams that could fight for the title. "If...  

Platini plea for players to entertain at Euros

Warsaw: Now, finally, UEFA President Michel Platini wants the players to take center stage when the European Championship kicks off on Friday. Football has almost been ignored during a turbulent five years for Poland and Ukraine as they sought to vindicate UEFA's decision to take its showpiece 16-nation tournament to eastern Europe. Now the former France great, who captained and coached his country, wants the teams to seize the headlines....  

Five managers to watch at Euro 2012

A low-down on the top minds who will be scheming their way to winning the European Championships. Joachim Low " Germany The German coach has been given assurances about his job, no matter what happens at Euro 2012, but knowing the way 'Jogi' works, he will be focused solely on the title. This is, after all, the man who gambled at the 2010 World Cup by opting for youth over...  

Spain eye unique treble at Euro 2012

Warsaw: Spain will try to become the first team to win three successive major international titles while Germany will hope to lift their first trophy since 1996 when Euro 2012 kicks off on Friday. The backdrop of the three-week tournament being staged by Poland and Ukraine across a vast stretch of eastern Europe has already been partly defined by off-field events. It will be the last Euros with 16 countries,...  

Capsules of past European Championships

London: Capsules on each of the previous 13 European Championship tournaments: France 1960 The Soviet Union scored the first goal in the qualifying tournament for the inaugural European Championship, and then won the maiden title about two years later at Parc des Princes in Paris. Seventeen teams entered the qualifying tournament, which was called the European Nations Cup. After Czechoslovakia eliminated Ireland in a two-leg playoff, the Soviets beat visiting...  

A glance at the 16 teams at Euro 2012

Warsaw: A brief glance at the 16 teams that have qualified for the European Championship: Group A Poland Euro 2012 Schedule: vs. Greece, June 8; vs. Russia, June 12; vs. Czech Republic, June 16. How the team qualified: Co-host. Euro 2008 Result: First Round. Best Result: First Round (2008). FIFA Ranking: 65th. Coach: Franciszek Smuda (Poland). Top Players: Jakub Blaszczykowski, Robert Lewandowski, Wojciech Szczesny. Greece Euro 2012 Schedule: vs. Poland,...  

A look at the 8 stadiums to be used for Euro 2012

Warsaw: A brief look at the eight stadiums to be used for the European Championship: Warsaw, National Stadium The National Stadium in Warsaw will host the opening match of the Euro 2012 tournament, when Poland plays Greece on June 8. The stadium was built on the site of the Tenth Anniversary Stadium, which hosted football matches and other sporting events from 1955 until the 1980s. The old stadium was partly...  

Spain arrive at Euro 2012 base in Poland

Gniewino: Spain have been given a warm welcome by their Polish hosts after arriving at their Euro 2012 base in Gniewino. The defending champions touched down in Gdansk at 19:30CET on Tuesday and immediately embarked on the hour-long journey to the small village of approximately 1,500 inhabitants, which will be their home for at least a fortnight. Vicente Del Bosque's troops were greeted by hundreds of locals before being serenaded...  

Medio Fabregas back to Spain training

Poland: Midfielder Cesc Fabregas has recovered sufficiently from a hamstring strain to be able to rejoin his Spanish team-mates in training, the world and European champions said on Tuesday. The Barcelona playmaker sustained the injury in last month's King's Cup final but was able to take part in Spain's final session in Madrid before they fly out to their Euro 2012 training base in Gniewino, Poland later on Tuesday. He...