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Sunday, July 1, 2012

Vicente del Bosque Takes the Acclaim After Collecting his Winners' Medal

Vicente del Bosque has become only the second coach to lead sides to glory at both the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup after Germany's Helmut Schön.

Vicente del Bosque has become only the second coach to lead sides to glory at both the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup following Spain's 4-0 UEFA EURO 2012 final victory against Italy in Kyiv.

Before Sunday the only trainer to get his hands on the Henri Delaunay Cup and FIFA World Cup Trophy was Helmut Schön, who guided West Germany to European and global glory in 1972 and 1974, respectively. Only Antonín Panenka's famous penalty for Czechoslovakia in the 1976 UEFA European Championship final denied Schön, and a side featuring the likes of Franz Beckenbauer, Sepp Maier and Paul Breitner, a hat-trick.

Spain have now achieved that elusive treble while Del Bosque, who took the reins from Luis Aragonés after UEFA EURO 2008, has matched Schön's feat. He led La Roja to their maiden World Cup triumph in South Africa two summers ago, defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final to break Schön's record as the oldest winning coach. By stretching Spain's unbeaten run in competitive matches to 20 in Ukraine, the 61-year-old duly added the EURO.

Under Schön, West Germany also finished runners-up at the 1966 World Cup and 1976 UEFA European Championship. Two other coaches won continental crowns before falling at the final hurdle in the World Cup: Italy's Ferruccio Valcareggi lost to Brazil in 1970 two years after claiming the EURO and the Azzurri condemned Schön's West Germany successor Jupp Derwall to a similar fate in 1982. Del Bosque, who also won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid CF in 2001/02 (something Schön never managed), had no such problem.

Spain Overpower Italy to Win UEFA EURO 2012 - 4-0 Victory in Kyiv

Spain 4-0 Italy
Vicente del Bosque's side saved their best until last at UEFA EURO 2012 as they overwhelmed an Italy outfit that ran out of steam.

Spain saved their best until last at UEFA EURO 2012, a final-record 4-0 victory in Kyiv completing an unprecedented hat-trick of major tournament wins.

Against a flagging Italy side whose thrilling knockout campaign looked to have caught up with them, Spain were in control from the moment David Silva broke the deadlock with a rare header on 14 minutes. A barnstorming second with half-time approaching from the indefatigable Jordi Alba, his first international goal, left the Azzurri with a mountain to climb. The sight of Thiago Motta, their third substitute, being carried off on a stretcher ended all hope, leaving Italy to play out the last 28 minutes with ten men – and Spain replacements Fernando Torres and Juan Mata fully capitalized.

This was billed as a meeting of great creative minds, of conductors in their prime, of Xavi Hernández against Andrea Pirlo; but for much of the opening stages it was a one-man show. Spain's No8 picked up the baton from the off, in harmony with Andrés Iniesta, dictating La Roja's now familiar staccato movement as Italy were forced deeper and deeper. The olés had already begun among the sizeable Spanish contingent in the 63,170 crowd when, just before the quarter-hour, the pair combined to such devastating effect.

Xavi, who had fired just over moments earlier, fed Iniesta and his finely weighted ball allowed Cesc Fàbregas to easily outstrip Giorgio Chiellini on the inside-right channel. There was still plenty to do but how easily Spain made it look as Fàbregas pulled a sharp ball back for Silva, all 170cm of him, to glance his header in. It proved a disappointed Chiellini's last real action as he soon succumbed to the thigh problem that has hampered him throughout his time in Poland and Ukraine.

A heavy-legged Italy could ill afford the double blow, but impressively they fought their way back into it. Pirlo, inevitably, was their driving force, the beating drum that pulled the strings at the back and sounded the horn to attack. Not that there was much of that. In fact, Pirlo's most telling contribution of the first half was a superb last-ditch block on Iniesta. Yet try as he might – and he did try – the 33-year-old could not be everywhere.

Spain's second was a little too easy, though. Standing on the touch line near halfway, Fàbregas headed Iker Casillas's clearance to Alba who turned the ball into Xavi before haring forward. The Azzurri back line did not seem to notice but the erudite Xavi did, advancing forward before slotting his new FC Barcelona club-mate in. The composed left-footed finish that followed would have pleased even David Villa, watching in the stands with Carles Puyol.

It seemed nothing could now deny Spain a first competitive victory against the Azzurri in 92 years – at least over 90 minutes – but Italy were not done yet. Antonio Di Natale, scorer in the 1-1 draw between these sides three weeks ago, came on for Antonio Cassano and within six minutes he could have scored twice. His first chance, a header, was far from simple but the striker could have done better when Riccardo Montolivo's pass found him in space. He snatched at the chance, though, and the advancing Casillas blocked.

Yet Italy's slender hopes of mounting a comeback disappeared when Thiago Motta did likewise down the tunnel. It was left for Xavi to resume his conducting, slowing things down until, with six minutes remaining, he upped the tempo for a rousing crescendo. First he robbed Pirlo in midfield and set up Torres for a goal to add to his UEFA EURO 2008 showpiece effort – a feat no one has managed before – then he combined with Torres to release Mata, just on, to set seal on an emphatic win. It has been an emphatic four years.

Faultless Ramos the Star of Spain's Showcase - UEFA Cup Final Review

Sergio Ramos's flawless showing ensured the defender was the Castrol top performer as he helped Spain stride to an historic 4-0 victory against Italy in the UEFA EURO 2012 final.

Spain defender Sergio Ramos did not put a foot wrong as La Roja overwhelmed Italy 4-0 in Kyiv to complete an unprecedented hat-trick of major tournament wins.

The 26-year-old defender has been integral to an exceptional Spain side that conceded just once en route to their title defence. It was business as usual as Vicente del Bosque's men earned their fifth straight clean sheet in Poland and Ukraine, and Ramos's contribution was acknowledged as he topped the Castrol EDGE Index with a score of 9.69.

Defensively, Ramos was faultless. He earned points for a valuable block on Andrea Barzagli's goal-bound effort; keeping an Italian attack – including an in-form Mario Balotelli – in check; and for ball recovery, regaining possession from Cesare Prandelli's side on no less than 15 occasions.

The Real Madrid CF man's boundless energy, athleticism and determination ensured he was as potent in Italy's penalty area as he was protective in his own, and a good deal of his rating is for his attacking endeavour. He gave the Azzurri nightmares from set pieces and had four efforts on goal, including two on-target shots from close range, to crown an imperious performance.

Ramos headed a Spanish clean sweep. Marauding left-back Jordi Alba scored a fine goal to grab a 9.09 rating and finish second, while Iker Casillas came third on 9.07 to round off the top three.

Castrol EDGE Index: Spain v Italy
1. Sergio Ramos (ESP) 9.69
2. Jordi Alba (ESP) 9.09
3. Iker Casillas (ESP) 9.07
4. Xavi Hernández (ESP) 9.06
5. David Silva (ESP) 8.60

Key facts
1 – Spain are the first European side to win three consecutive major tournaments (UEFA EURO 2008, 2010 FIFA World Cup, UEFA EURO 2012).

2 – Vicente del Bosque has become only the second coach to win the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship (after Helmut Schön, who won in 1972 and 1974 with Germany).

3 – Spain have equaled Germany's record of three European Championship wins (1964, 2008, 2012).

4 – La Roja became the first team to score four goals in a EURO final.

9 – Iker Casillas equalled Edwin van der Sar's record for clean sheets at the EUROs, this match earning his ninth shutout in this competition.

Spanish Moon on the Boom - Winning Hatrik in UEFA Champions League

Part of a defense which conceded just one goal at UEFA EURO 2012, Spain center-back Sergio Ramos finished top of the Castrol EDGE Index after the holders' historic final win.

For the second successive UEFA European Championship, Spain provided the winner of the Castrol EDGE Index, Sergio Ramos taking the honour in 2012 following a historic night at Kyiv's Olympic Stadium.

The 26-year-old, who succeeds metronomic midfielder Xavi Hernández in topping the pile, climbed seven places to the summit courtesy of a display in which he was heavily involved at both ends of the field.

A cornerstone of the holders' impenetrable defense, the Real Madrid CF man finished just ahead of club-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who had led the standings since the end of the group stage. Gerard Piqué, Ramos' center-back partner, completes the podium; he is the second of seven Spain players in the top ten, including their entire rearguard.

Ramos was in the thick of the action from the off against the Azzurri, having two efforts on goal – one a free-kick, the other a header – in the first seven minutes and four overall, two of which were on target. At the other end, a block from Andrea Barzagli and his retrieval of possession on 15 occasions swelled his match rating to 9.69, the third highest for a game at UEFA EURO 2012.

Ramos, ever-present in La Roja's unprecedented third consecutive major tournament victory, was instrumental in Vicente del Bosque's team keeping five consecutive clean sheets in Poland and Ukraine. The fourth of those came in the semi-finals, when he helped shackle Ronaldo, whose three goals and tournament-record 15 shots on target were responsible for the bulk of his overall 9.61 mark.

Piqué, Ramos and full-backs Jordi Alba and Álvaro Arbeloa – sixth and seventh respectively – limited the opposition to just 21 shots in six matches. In addition to this, the indefatigable Alba owes his rise from 14th to his well-taken goal, his first at international level, in the final.

The holders are further represented by Xabi Alonso (fourth), Andrés Iniesta (fifth) and Sergio Busquets (ninth). Alonso was a model of consistency throughout with his passing, with only Xavi completing more than the Madrid midfielder's 490. Crucially, in Index terms, 251 of these were forward passes in opposition territory.

Pepe (eighth) and Claudio Marchisio, on the losing team in the showpiece, make up the top ten.

Tournament facts
1 – Goals conceded at UEFA EURO 2012 by Spain in 570 minutes of action.

2 – Vicente del Bosque is the second coach after Helmut Schön to win a FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship.

5 – David Silva had a role in more goals at UEFA EURO 2012 than any other player (two goals, three assists).

189 – Minutes in which Fernando Torres scored his adidas Golden Boot-winning total of three goals.

531 – The tournament-high total of passes completed by Xavi Hernández, at an average of 89 per game.

Triumphant Spain Do It Their Way - Europa Champions League 2012 Final

From 'false' No9s to an outrageous penalty and an extraordinary defence, Spain's history-makers enjoyed another memorable tournament at UEFA EURO 2012. Graham Hunter looks back.

Spain completed a memorable tournament and made history when they lifted the Henri Delaunay Cup again on Sunday. Some great national sides have tilted at this achievement, and failed. Not only is this the first retention of a UEFA European Championship, it is the first three-in-a-row combination of world and continental titles. Not the West Germany or Brazil sides of the 1970s, nor the France of Zinédine Zidane – no group of players have endured like those who started winning under Luis Aragonés four years ago and have now sealed their status as all-time greats.

In a nutshell
Put simply, Spain found solutions. If you are robbed of David Villa, the most prolific striker in Spain's history, then goals have to become a problem. While the debate fizzed about a 'false' No9 versus an old-fashioned centre-forward, Vicente del Bosque, Cesc Fàbregas and Fernando Torres just got on with it. Italy were pegged back by the former Arsenal FC captain, Torres burst into life against the Republic of Ireland, and Fàbregas was pivotal against Croatia.

A rare Xabi Alonso double dealt with France but Fàbregas popped up with the winning penalty in the semi-final against Portugal before Torres's late cameo in the final earned him the adidas Golden Boot.

High point
Surely the Sergio Ramos-Iker Casillas double act against Portugal. One-nil down after Alonso's spot kick was saved, the man known as San Iker (Saint Iker) in his homeland saved one before Ramos chipped Rui Patrício in the most outrageous style imaginable. It was tide-turning, admirable and daring – hats off to Ramos.

Key man
What a hugely difficult task, but the winner has to be Del Bosque. He chose the double pivot style and stuck to it. He found solutions for the absence of David Villa and the slow return to form of Torres. Through all the difficulties he made substitutions which produced goals, he maintained a sense of humour and elegance and he deserves his place in the coaching pantheon.

Hope for the future
Jordi Alba, a novice on arrival, was superb and crowned off a wonderful tournament with a stunning goal in the final. What is more, there were very limited opportunities for reigning European Under-21 champions Juan Mata and Javi Martínez, though the Chelsea FC man came on and scored against Italy. Several of Luis Milla's U21 winners are knocking at the door of the senior squad but none of the elder statesmen seem particularly disposed to move on. The future looks bright.

Vital statistic
Since elimination from the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Spain have played ten tournament knockout matches without conceding a single goal.

Final word
I think it's very difficult to be champions once, twice is a lot more difficult, and three times is brilliant. I think that these guys have made an extraordinary effort and they have to be congratulated." Del Bosque sums up the achievement of his players.

Italy Loose the Final of UEFA Euro Cup 2012

Fatigue and injuries took their toll on Italy in their final loss to Spain but Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Daniele De Rossi were proud in defeat.

Italy's defence had impressed in previous knockout ties against England and Germany but tiredness and muscle strains – Giorgio Chiellini went off in the first half and Thiago Motta in the second shortly after coming on to leave the Azzurri with ten men – told as Spain ran out 4-0 winners. Though beaten, Italy's players were unbowed as they reflected on their run and hopes for the future.

Gianluigi Buffon, Italy captain
It's ended badly because we faced a great team who deserved to win. Sometimes in life you need to be able to accept defeat and compliment opponents who were better. They have a lot of players who are accustomed to playing certain types of games, important games like the final of a European Championship. I think at the start we paid for this because we were not the same Italy as we have been. We have nothing to complain about. Spain were the better team and we congratulate them.

Daniele De Rossi, Italy midfielder
I think Spain are better than everybody: in ten games against them you will lose seven or eight. If you win or draw it means everything went for your side. In Gdansk [drawing 1-1 in the group stage] I think we could have beaten them and nobody could have said we did not deserve it. Tonight we did not manage to cause them any problems them.

We were up against a very strong side and were not 100%; we were very tired. Ahead of the game we were sure we could beat them but we never hurt them. Then the game was over after 60 minutes: you cannot give anything to a team like Spain, facing them a man down is really too much to ask. We could have avoided the last two goals but it would not have changed much.

Giorgio Chiellini, Italy defender
We're sorry because we hoped to win and end the tournament in another way. We were tired, very tired, and the injuries show that. Some of our players on the pitch could hardly walk. In the end we have to congratulate Spain. They deserved to win and tonight they proved to be better than us.

When Thiago Motta got injured we were down to ten men but they'd almost closed the game out in the first 60 minutes with their ball possession. Then in the last half-hour they exploded, thanks in part to having more players. Everyone's sad about the loss, but it can't erase a tournament in which we played well and we dreamt with millions of Italians. In my opinion that has to be the starting point for our future.

Leonardo Bonucci, Italy defender
It's hard, because we believed we could do it. If we had succeeded in bringing onto the pitch what has been our trademark here – our desire to pass the ball around and create openings – for sure we would have been here talking about another kind of result. But they deserved to win and we give them credit. Once again Spain have shown that they are one or two steps above anyone else.

I think that today in general we were unlucky in everything: from the goals we conceded to the players we lost to injury. It was just a negative night. We'll take away the experience we've gained in this tournament, which has been positive, because we had the desire to play football. From here we need to start again.

Spain Stars Target yet More Success - UEFA Final Review

Jordi Alba was delighted to join in on Spain's unprecedented series of titles, while Cesc Fàbregas and Álvaro Arbeloa want yet more glory following La Roja's UEFA EURO 2012 final win.

Spain successfully defended their UEFA European Championship crown, but it was a first senior international title for final goalscorer Jordi Alba and the left-back said the achievement was only just "sinking in". La Roja may have now won the last three major tournaments, but Alba's fellow defender Álvaro Arbeloa is looking forward to continued success following the 4-0 win against Italy that secured the Henri Delaunay Cup for the third time.

Jordi Alba, Spain defender
It's my first EURO. They had made history before, and now I am also going to make history with them. I'm very happy. I still can't believe it. But little by little it's sinking in. We will now celebrate with the squad. It has been a very good EURO. And regarding scoring a goal: the people in [my hometown] L'Hospitalet, family and friends told me that I was going to score and, eventually, I did.

Talking about my move to Barcelona, I am very happy. [€14m] is an agreement between two clubs, between Valencia and Barcelona, and that's what [the amount] is. And honestly, everything has been going well, and I am very happy about everything that is happening to me. [Now I'm thinking] about the people from L'Hospitalet, who have supported me very much; my family, my friends, my grandparents – all the people who always support me.

Álvaro Arbeloa, Spain defender
It makes me feel proud. We've achieved something that nobody has achieved before, and that shows how difficult it is, right? We were lucky in scoring with our first chance, and we then felt very good after opening the scoring. We played a wonderful match against a team that have played a very good tournament, and deserved to be in the final.

I'm very happy about the course of the tournament, really a tournament to enjoy. We did a really good job, all 23 players, and we are more than happy. I dedicate it above all to my family, who have always supported me, because without them I wouldn't be here. And [I think] about all the people who have always supported me.

We want to continue winning. We know it's getting more and more difficult, but we don't want to stop.

Cesc Fàbregas, Spain midfielder
I am very happy. The truth is that everything started very well when we won EURO 2008. At that time we didn't think we would win before the tournament. now it's turned out that we have won three tournaments in a row. It is incredible. I am speechless. I don't have words to express what we feel. I hope it continues, as we are a young squad.

The mental side, and the confidence, have changed. The group has also changed. We are a very hard-working team, very humble and disciplined. There are never any problems, people are very responsible and no one is ever late. The truth is that it's the small things that make us a fantastic group.

I worked hard to support the team during a long tournament. Also, I thank the team for the trust they placed in me. They know that I did not play as a forward when I was young, but they believed in me, and I am very proud that I could help this team in the last three tournaments.

I dedicate it to all the people that have passed away recently, as you may read on my shirt, to Miki [Roqué], Manolo [Preciado], [Daniel] Jarque and [Antonio] Puerta. It is a very special day for them as well, for their families and friends. I hope they had a great time, we thought of them a lot and I am sure that those who are above are very happy for us.