Showing posts with label Euro 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Euro 2012. Show all posts

Ramos wants to avoid spot kicks

Spain defender Sergio Ramos hopes the Euro 2012 final against Italy is not decided by a penalty shoot-out.



Reigning European champions Spain beat Portugal 4-2 on penalties to progress from the semi-finals on Wednesday.



And Ramos does not want to see a repeat of the shootout in the final, to be played in Kiev on Sunday.



"Honestly, I would not like to go into a penalty shoot-out again," he said during a press conference.



"But we are very eager to win and for that we will need to stay humble and try to do things well, while respecting Italy.



"These days, memories of our recent past come to our mind. This motivates us to win this final and relive those incredible moments with the Spanish people."



Real Madrid defender Ramos converted his penalty against Portugal with an audacious chip, but said it was not intended as a message to those who criticised him for his failed attempt against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals.



"A lot of things were said and the truth is that they hurt my pride," Ramos said.



"But I did not take the penalty like this for any special reason, only because I was confident.



"There were many people waiting for me to miss, but that never affected me."



Andrea Pirlo has been an integral part of Italy's run to the final, but Ramos stressed the Juventus man was not the only threat to the defending champions.



"He is a unique player, one of the best in Italy, but he is not their only threat," Ramos said.



"What has taken them to the final is their collective game. There is not just one stand-alone player."



Barcelona player Cesc Fabregas, who also netted in the shootout against Portugal, also singled out Pirlo, along with strikers Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano, as Italy's danger-men.



"We will have to stop Italy's attackers, and Pirlo as well," Fabregas said.



"Balotelli is a great player and he showed it yesterday. He scored two great goals against Germany in the semi-finals.



"That says it all. I really liked the way he played. He will be a threat, like Antonio Cassano or any other player."


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Spain through after penalties

Spain are through to the final of Euro 2012 after beating Portugal 4-2 win on penalties.



The defending champions, looking to reach the final of a third successive major tournament, looked sluggish throughout the match in Donetsk but in the end they prevailed with Cesc Fabregas scoring the decisive penalty to send his side through to Sunday's decider.



A match which had been expected to be one of the games of the tournament never really fizzled into life with both sides squandering chances. Indeed, Spain had to wait until the 67th minute to have a shot on target and it was somewhat inevitable that extra time would be needed.



Despite looking lethargic during the regulation 90 minutes it was Spain who looked more life scoring in the extra half an hour, but Portugal's defence held firm and the clock ticked towards a shootout.



Xavi Alonso missed the first penalty but Joao Moutinho's effort was saved by Iker Casillas to hand the advantage back to Spain.



Anders Iniesta easily fired his beyond Patricio before Pepe, Pique and Nani all converted their chances. A piece of magic followed as Ramos dinked the ball into the net to give Spain the lead and Bruno Alves' miss ensured Fabregas had the opportunity to send the world champions into the final.



The former Arsenal skipper calmly walked up to the spot and coolly slotted home to break Portugal's hearts.



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Nasri apologises for foul-mouthed rant

France midfielder Samir Nasri on Tuesday issued an apology for insulting a journalist after his team were knocked out of the Euro 2012 quarter-finals by Spain last Saturday.



"Too many untruths circulate at the moment. May the fans, and the children in particular, know that I regret sincerely that my words may have shocked," he said on his Twitter feed.



Nasri, who was a second-half substitute in France's 2-0 defeat by world and European champions Spain, passed waiting reporters without saying a word after the match.



"I love the France team, I love football and I have deep respect for the fans. For the rest, it's a personal matter between me and some journalists. I will explain myself in due time," Nasri added.



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Schweinsteiger fit for Italy clash

Bastian Schweinsteiger is back to full fitness and ready to start the semi-final against Italy, Germany coach Joachim Low has said.



Schweinsteiger had been suffering a niggling ankle problem but was able to take a full part in training on Monday. Although he played in the 4-2 quarter-final win against Greece on Friday, Low said the midfielder had fallen short of his usual standards.



Giving his squad a clean bill of health, Low said: "There are only 100% fit players. No player will run out if he is only operating at 80 or 90% capacity. All players are fit - I assume Schweinsteiger will play.



"Schweinsteiger had problems, but it's not as if these were hindering him. Against Greece, he was poor - but he realises that himself. Against Italy, that won't happen."



Low said he would not be singling out Andrea Pirlo, who produced an outstanding performance as Italy beat England on penalties, for special treatment.



Pirlo pulled the strings as Cesare Prandelli's team dominated much of the match against their defensive opponents, but Low explained: "That [man-marking Pirlo] would make no sense. The Italians have a very different team from 2010 and excellent progress behind them.



"They have good strengths, a lot of quality. But we also know where their weaknesses lie, where they have their problems. We have to bring our own game, not focus so much on the opponents. If we manage to do that, then we have a good chance."



Earlier on Tuesday, Mesut Ozil had stressed how important Schweinsteiger was to Germany's hopes of winning the tournament, describing him as a "world-class player and a leader of the team."



"He has had injuries in the past, but he is in a good way now," Ozil said. "You saw against the Netherlands how important he is. I hope he is able to be fit as he is such an important player for us."



Meanwhile, Miroslav Klose has said he expects to line up against the Italians despite competition from three-goal striker Mario Gomez - the Euro 2012 joint-top scorer.



Klose started the game against Greece as Low shuffled his attacking options, and rewarded his coach's faith by getting on the scoresheet.



"I am assuming that I will play," he said. "That's what I am preparing for. But we are lucky to have two top strikers. We'll wait and see which one the coach will pick."


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Xavi and Iniesta seek their 20th final together

Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta will tomorrow look to qualify for their 20th final since they’ve been playing together, whether with Barcelona or the Spanish national team. If they do reach the final they will more than likely win it. Of the 19 finals they’ve played together, they’ve won 16 and lost 3.



With the national team they’ve won both the finals they’ve played in: Euro 2008 in Vienna and the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg, in which Iniesta scored the winner.



Since 2002, the two of them have played 17 finals with Barcelona, only losing 3 of these: The World Club Cup against Internacional de Porto Alegre, the European Super Cup against Seville and the 2011 Spanish Cup final against Real Madrid.



Xavi and Iniesta are experts in this type of game where they usually play their best. They’re also experts in semi-finals. Iniesta proved that at Stamford Bridge in 2009 when he scored the winner that qualified Barcelona for the Champions League final in Rome.



Víctor Valdés could also be included in this list, as he has been present in many of these finals, but not as many as the two midfielders. He didn’t play in either of the finals with the national team or the Spanish Cup finals that Barcelona played in, because Guardiola decided that José Manuel Pinto would play in that competition.





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Maradona backs Germany for glory

Diego Maradona believes Germany can finally triumph over Italy when the two sides meet on Thursday in the Euro 2012 semi-finals.



Italy have had the upper hand in recent encounters against the Germans, most memorably beating them on their own patch in Dortmund at the 2006 World Cup.



Despite this, Maradona believes Germany's new generation of young goalscoring midfielders will allow them to beat their old rivals - and is of the opinion that they are favourites to win the tournament.



"Germany's young superstars (Mesut) Oezil, (Sami) Khedira and (Thomas) Mueller have matured over these years and it shows," Maradona wrote in The Times of India.



"Their young midfield and ease of scoring make them the favourites to win the tournament, although they must face their bete noir Italy in the semi-finals.



"If they ever have a chance to change their luck versus the Azzurri, this is it.



"(But) Germany will do well not to underestimate them."



While tipping Germany to make the final in Kiev, he also praised Italy coach Cesare Prandelli for getting an Italy team on their knees to the semi-finals.



"Very few people expected anything of Italy in this Euro championship," he said.



"The (then) defending world champions were humiliated in South Africa. Coach Prandelli inherited a disjointed national team ferociously criticised by 60 million demanding fans."


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FA: Twitter abuse unacceptable

The Football Association has labelled Twitter attacks on England stars Ashley Young and Ashley Cole as "appalling and unacceptable''.



Cole and Young both missed penalties in Sunday night's quarter-final shootout against Italy as the Three Lions exited the tournament, and were subsequently subjected to abuse on Twitter.



"We are concerned at the reports regarding allegations of abuse aimed at England players Ashley Cole and Ashley Young on Twitter,'' an FA statement read.



"They have just given everything for the national team at Euro 2012 and it is appalling and unacceptable that messages of an abusive type are being posted. We support any police investigation in identifying who is behind this.''



A Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) spokesman said: "We are aware of alleged racist comments on Twitter following last night's England game and have launched an investigation.



"The allegation was made to MPS on 25 June by a member of the public relating to comments on a Twitter account supposedly based in London.



No arrests have been made at this early stage. The MPS is examining possible offences under Section 18/19 Public Order Act 1986.''



The Twitter user in question made derogatory comments towards Young and Cole, but later wrote: "All I got to say is this was just a joke, you guys need to relax, police know i was kiddin around and they won't bother me hopefully, cheers.''



A Welsh student, Liam Stacey, was jailed for 56 days earlier this year for racially abusing Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba after he collapsed on the pitch against Tottenham Hotspur.


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UEFA fine Germany over unruly fans

The German Football Association have been fined 25,000 euros over the behaviour of a section of their supporters at Euro 2012.



German fans were accused of displaying a neo-Nazi banner during the Group B game against Denmark in Lviv, as well as singing offensive songs and letting off fireworks.



UEFA have now reprimanded the DFB, having found the country's fans guilty of 'improper conduct'.



"The German Football Association (DFB) has been fined 25,000 euros by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body," a statement released on Monday read.



"The charges relate to the improper conduct of their supporters at the UEFA EURO 2012 Group B match against Denmark in Lviv on Sunday 17 June.



"An appeal can be lodged against this decision within 24 hours of the dispatch of the reasoned decision."



Germany won the game 2-1, with Lars Bender popping up with the winner with 10 minutes remaining after Michael Krohn-Dehli had earlier cancelled out Lukas Podolski's opener.



Russia and Croatia have previously been fined by UEFA over the actions of their supporters in Poland and Ukraine.



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Italy set to be boosted by Chiellini return

Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini returned to training on Monday morning, raising hopes he may be fit to face Germany in Thursday's semi-final.



Chiellini was forced off with a thigh strain during Italy's 2-0 victory over Ireland in the final group game, and the Juventus centre-back was subsequently ruled out of the quarter-final with England on Sunday night.



However, he was present for a training session the following morning, taking part in running and ball-work, and there are now hopes that he will be available to play against Germany in Warsaw.



His return to fitness would be a significant boost for the Italians, who currently have doubts over the fitness of midfielder Daniel De Rossi and right-back Ignazio Abate, while Christian Maggio is suspended.



Meanwhile, Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon, a World Cup winner in 2006, has told his team-mates they must not get carried away after the penalty shootout victory over England.



"We cannot forget that we have only overcome the quarter-final stage," Buffon said. "I cannot start jumping for joy after taking a spot in the semi-finals. I will only do that when we win something as a team.



"Those of us that have won something important want to repeat that and achieve it also for those that haven't won a trophy yet."



Germany are widely expected to progress to the final, but Buffon is hopeful Italy can spring a surprise. "They are probably favourites, but we have the character to face anyone," he said. "No-one goes into a game wanting to finish second."


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Bayern close in on Mario Mandzukic

Croatia Euro 2012 star Mario Mandzukic appears to be on his way to Bayern Munich, according to Bild.



The Croatian striker shone at the European Championship and attracted attention from top European clubs by scoring 3 goals in 4 games at the Euro 2012.



Bild now reveals that Bayern Munich are seriously considering making a move for the Wolfsburg striker.



The Wolves are not too satisfied with Mandzukic’s performances and they believe this is the right time to cash in on the 26-year-old.



The Bundesliga side have already recruited two strikers for the upcoming season, having signed Bas Dost from Heerenveen and Ivica Olic from Bayern Munich.



The Bavarians are prepared to offer around €10 million for the Croatia international in spite of the fact Claudio Pizarro has previously agreed a switch to Alianz Arena.



Mandzukic joined Wolfsburg in a €7 million move from Dinamo Zagreb and has since scored 20 goals in 56 Bundesliga appearances.



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