The Republic of Ireland return to the Euros after a gap of 24 years. Their participation in the 1988 edition was their maiden appearance and they failed to go beyond the group stages in the eight-team tournament. So qualification itself is a massive result this time for Giovanni Trapattoni's side. However, they had to beat Estonia in the playoff to realise their dream after six wins, one loss and three...
11:01 AM, Jun 05, 2012
Barcelona: Spain's reign at the top of world football started four years ago at the European Championship, and some believe the run of good fortune can be traced back to one particular shootout victory over Italy. At Euro 2012, the Italians will get another shot. On June 10 in Gdansk, the last two world champions will renew their rivalry to open Group C. "That (win) removed the pressure. That game...
09:38 AM, Jun 05, 2012
Florence: Italy defender Andrea Barzagli may miss the European Championship because of a calf injury. Barzagli strained his left calf in Friday's 3-0 friendly loss to Russia and could be sidelined for 20 days, according to national team doctor Enrico Castellacci. Castellacci said Monday that "we will do everything to get him fit, it's worth it." Barzagli is almost certain to miss the group games, and Italy coach Cesare Prandelli...
11:52 PM, Jun 04, 2012
Zagreb: Croatia striker Ivica Olic will miss the European Championship because of a thigh muscle injury and will be replaced by Nikola Kalinic, team officials said Monday. Team doctors said the former Bayern Munich forward's medical checkups Monday in Germany showed that Olic has a muscle tear and he will not travel with the team to the tournament. Croatia coach Slaven Bilic called up former Blackburn striker Kalinic as Olic's...
11:41 PM, Jun 04, 2012
Poznan: Croatia coach Slaven Bilic could be forced to reshuffle his attack ahead of their Euro 2012 opener against Republic of Ireland as striker Ivica Olic is in doubt for the tournament due to injury. The departing Bayern Munich forward sustained a thigh problem in the friendly draw against Norway at the weekend, and it remains to be seen whether the Wolfsburg-bound player will be match fit in time for...
02:49 PM, Jun 04, 2012
Madrid: Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso feels that his side face a tough task to win Euro 2012 due to the high expectations, but insisted that they are determined to successfully defend their title. The title-holders are seen as the favourites to win this summer's tournament, but the Real Madrid star believes it will be very difficult to go all the way. "The expectations aren't just high, but they are soaring....
02:11 PM, Jun 04, 2012
Four years ago, Spain made history at the Euros, finally ending 44 years of pain and misery as the perennial under-achievers of international football. Now they arrive at Euro 2012 as defending champions and World Cup winners, looking to become the first side to win three major international trophies in a row. It is no surprise that Spain are the favourites once again, with the core of the squad that...
11:49 AM, Jun 04, 2012
Seville: Spain midfielders Andres Iniesta and David Silva combined to score a late goal in a 1-0 victory over a stubborn China on Sunday in the team's last warm-up before defending their European Championship title. Iniesta jumped on a loose ball inside China's half and scurried into the area before passing to Silva for the 84th-minute winner that gave the World Cup champions their 25th straight victory at home. A...
09:12 AM, Jun 04, 2012
If there was ever a list of 'What Not To Do Before A Major Tournament', Italy seem to have covered most of it. Heading into Euro 2012, the team " already hit by injuries " has suffered a loss of form that has seen them lose three consecutive games for the first time since 1983, with another warm-up being cancelled due to an earthquake in northern Italy. This even as...
11:35 AM, Jun 03, 2012
Their squad may lack in quality and depth as compared to their more formidable group opponents, but Croatia will certainly not be short of motivation at Euro 2012. The tournament will be the last for the coach Slaven Bilic, who has agreed to take over at Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow following the European Championship. With the popular Bilic having overseen one of the most successful periods for the national team...
11:34 AM, Jun 03, 2012
Zurich: Italy's troubles mounted as they produced some slapstick defending in a 3-0 defeat by fellow Euro 2012 finalists Russia on Friday in their only warm-up match for the tournament. The game at the Letzigrund in Zurich was played against the backdrop of a match-fixing scandal back home that prompted Italy coach Cesare Prandelli to say he would not mind his side pulling out of the European Championship if it...
08:46 AM, Jun 02, 2012
Madrid: A scan on Cesc Fabregas's hamstring injury has shown "very satisfactory results" although he will miss Spain's final Euro 2012 warm-up match against China on Sunday, the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) said on Friday. Fabregas picked up the injury when he came on for the last 10 minutes of Barca's 3-0 King's Cup final win over Athletic Bilbao last week before he was named in Spain's final 23-man squad...
10:38 PM, Jun 01, 2012
Barcelona: Barcelona striker David Villa has played down his absence from the Spain national team at Euro 2012. The 30-year-old striker ruled himself out of selection for the finals in Poland and Ukraine as he is still nursing a fractured tibia sustained at the Club World Cup in December. His unavailability has been described by Spain coach Vicente del Bosque as a heavy blow, but Villa thinks that La Roja...
10:33 AM, Jun 01, 2012
Berne: Striker Fernando Torres, who scraped into Spain's Euro 2012 squad by the skin of his teeth, celebrated by ending a year-long goal drought for his country in a 4-1 friendly win over South Korea on Wednesday. Torres, complimented by coach Vicente del Bosque afterwards, gave Spain a 11th minute lead although South Korea then gave them a fright when Kim Do-Heong - who plays for National Police Agency -...
08:55 AM, May 31, 2012
Madrid: Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has admitted that tension exists between defenders Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique as the European champions continue preparations for Euro 2012. The duo's relationship has soured after a number of heated encounters between Barcelona and Real Madrid, but the national team boss has called on the centre-back pairing to cast their differences aside ahead of this summer's tournament. "If they don't get on well...
07:35 PM, May 30, 2012
Rome: Premier Mario Monti suggested Tuesday that Italian football should be suspended for two to three years after the latest match-fixing scandal rocked the national team and tarnished the image of the domestic game yet again just a week before the start of the European Championship. Dawn raids on Monday resulted in 14 arrests " including Lazio captain Stefano Mauri " to bring the total number of suspects arrested in...
01:26 PM, May 30, 2012
Italy: Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has threatened to walk out of Euro 2012 should he be singled out for racist abuse and claims that he would "kill" someone if they threw a banana at him in the street. The Italian has dealt with such abuse before in his career, with an incident in a Rome bar one case in which he admits that he almost lost control, but he...
12:54 PM, May 30, 2012
Milan: Defender Andrea Ranocchia and forward Mattia Destro were left out of Italy's 23-man Euro 2012 squad on Tuesday but centre back Leonardo Bonucci was included despite the match-fixing crisis engulfing the country. Coach Cesare Prandelli, who on Monday was forced to drop Domenico Criscito after the left back was warned by police that he was being probed in a fix investigation, whittled his squad down from 25 ahead of...
05:00 PM, May 29, 2012
Madrid: Fernando Torres is determined to repay the faith shown in him by Spain coach Vicente del Bosque after a spectacular loss of form put him in serious danger of being left out of the world and European champions' squad for Euro 2012. The 28-year-old striker, hero of Spain's triumph at the European Championship in 2008, has struggled since joining Chelsea from Liverpool in January last year but has a...
03:22 PM, May 29, 2012
Florence, Italy: Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has trimmed his provisional squad for the European Championship to 25 players. Prandelli will cut another two before submitting his final 23-man list to UEFA by mid-day local time on Tuesday. Zenit St. Petersburg defender Domenico Criscito was left out after he was placed under investigation for possible match-fixing during his time at Genoa. Emiliano Viviano, Davide Astori, Salvatore Bocchetti, Luca Cigarini, Ezequiel Schelotto...
02:31 PM, May 29, 2012
