Spain retained their European championship title in style, beating
Italy 4-0 in the Ukrainian capital Kiev to become the first side to
complete back-to-back wins in the competition's 52-year history.
Manchester City's David Silva opened the scoring in the 14th
minute yesterday, heading home a pinpoint cross from Barcelona's Cesc
Fabregas, after a fired-up Spain, earlier accused of playing a "boring"
possession game, came out all guns blazing.
Jordi Alba made it two on 41 minutes after he ran onto a sublime
through-ball from his new Barca team-mate Xavi Hernandez and slotted a
left-foot shot past the advancing Gianluigi Buffon.
Fernando Torres -- who scored in Spain's 1-0 Euro 2008 final win
against Germany four years ago -- made it three with six minutes left
while his Chelsea colleague Juan Mata made it four on 88 minutes.
"La Furia Roja" are now the only side to have won three
consecutive major titles, with European wins either side of their World
Cup victory in 2010.
Tens of thousands of people young and old thronged the streets of
Rome and Madrid to watch the game on giant screens, with both historic
capitals a sea of green, white and red Italian tricolors and red and
yellow Spanish flags. But it was Spanish fans who erupted at the final
whistle with shouts of "Campeones! Campeones! (Champions! Champions!)"
in scenes of wild celebration that brought unbridled joy to a nation
struggling with recession.
"Today the whole country is united as one and everyone is in the
Euro. And the crisis? No-one is thinking about the crisis," said
23-year-old business student Miguel Revert outside a central Madrid
sports bar.
Spain's players will be greeted by King Juan Carlos in Madrid on
Monday, before being hailed by adoring fans in an open-top bus that will
travel through the capital's streets.
Sunday's final was the 31st match in three weeks of football
involving 16 teams in Poland and Ukraine, which despite misgivings
before the start of the tournament, has generally been considered to
have gone well.
Before the competition started, there were fears about the
readiness of the eight match venues and other infrastructure as well as
high travel and accommodation prices for fans, particularly in Ukraine.
Racism was also a worry, amid claims that far-right gangs were
rife in football grounds in both countries, while Ukraine also faced a
boycott from European nations over the alleged mistreatment of jailed
opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko. Some racist chanting from foreign
fans and violent clashes between Poland and Russia fans were seen and
organisers courted controversy at the last by inviting the controversial
Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko to the final.
But the worst fears have not materialised, allowing the focus to
remain mostly on the pitch, with high-quality matches attracting record
television viewing figures in Europe and around the world.
UEFA president Michel Platini told reporters he felt proud of
both co-hosts, while Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said it had
been an "honour" to stage the competition.
"It seems to me that we've succeeded," he was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
"Even though the Polish and Ukrainian teams aren't playing in the
final, one thing's clear: Poland and Ukraine have won Euro 2012," added
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski.
Poland and Ukraine are hoping to reap the benefits from holding
such a "mega-event", particularly in tourist revenues, with Euro 2012
helping to shatter myths of the former communist east European nations
being cold and inhospitable. A recent survey of more than 1,000 foreign
fans by independent pollsters PBS indicated that 73 percent said they
would come back to Poland within three years, while 89 percent
said they would recommend Warsaw to family and friends. Some even
compared Euro 2012 to the ground-breaking recognition of the Solidarity
trade union led by Lech Walesa in 1980 that triggered a wave of
anti-communist sentiment and ultimately played a part in the collapse of
the eastern bloc. The next competition will be held in four years' time
in France.
This Spain is the Best team ever! Nothing more nothing less! I am Speechless!
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