Antoine Griezmann&#39;s double for France in Thursday&#39;s 2-0 semi-final win over Germany at Euro 2016 broke die Mannschaft&#39;s 50-year winning streak against host nations at major tournaments. 
 
The French victory in Marseille was the first time Germany had lost to the hosts at a major finals since their famous 4-2 defeat to England in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley. 
 
Germany had enjoyed half a century of ending host nations&#39; involvement in their own tournament until their defeat at the Stade Velodrome. 
 
Germany knocked Brazil out of the 2014 World Cup in emphatic style with a 7-1 thrashing in the semi-finals. 
 
And six years before that, Germany beat co-hosts Austria 1-0 in the group stages of Euro 2008 to end their opponents&#39; chances of reaching the knockout stages. 
 
Previous to that, the Germans dumped out South Korea after the co-hosts&#39; surprise run to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup. 
 
It was also Germany who dashed England&#39;s dreams at Wembley in the semi-finals of Euro &#39;96 - the last time Germany won the European Championship - in a nail-biting penalty shootout. 
 
At the 1992 European Championship in Sweden, the home nation was beaten 3-2 by the Germans in the semi-finals before Denmark pulled off a shock 2-0 win in the final. 
 
At the 1982 World Cup, a 2-1 win by Germany against hosts Spain in the second round ended the Spaniards&#39; hopes of progressing. 
 
Likewise, Mexico&rsquo;s party at the 1986 World Cup was over in the quarter-finals on penalties as Germany went on to lose the final to a Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina. 
 
At the European Championship in 1972, Germany beat Belgium 2-1 in the Antwerp semi-final, following that up four years later with a 4-2 extra-time victory against Yugoslavia in Belgrade in the last four of the 1976 tournament. 
 
(AFP)

This is the first time Germany has lost to the hosts at a major finals since their 4-2 defeat to England in the 1966 World Cup at Wembley

Antoine Griezmann's double for France in Thursday's 2-0 semi-final win over Germany at Euro 2016 broke die Mannschaft's 50-year winning streak against host nations at major tournaments. The French victory in Marseille was the first time Germany had lost to the hosts at a major finals since their famous 4-2 defeat to England in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley. Germany had enjoyed half a century of ending host nations' involvement in their own tournament until their defeat at the Stade Velodrome. Germany knocked Brazil out of the 2014 World Cup in emphatic style with a 7-1 thrashing in the semi-finals. And six years before that, Germany beat co-hosts Austria 1-0 in the group stages of Euro 2008 to end their opponents' chances of reaching the knockout stages. Previous to that, the Germans dumped out South Korea after the co-hosts' surprise run to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup. It was also Germany who dashed England's dreams at Wembley in the semi-finals of Euro '96 - the last time Germany won the European Championship - in a nail-biting penalty shootout. At the 1992 European Championship in Sweden, the home nation was beaten 3-2 by the Germans in the semi-finals before Denmark pulled off a shock 2-0 win in the final. At the 1982 World Cup, a 2-1 win by Germany against hosts Spain in the second round ended the Spaniards' hopes of progressing. Likewise, Mexico’s party at the 1986 World Cup was over in the quarter-finals on penalties as Germany went on to lose the final to a Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina. At the European Championship in 1972, Germany beat Belgium 2-1 in the Antwerp semi-final, following that up four years later with a 4-2 extra-time victory against Yugoslavia in Belgrade in the last four of the 1976 tournament. (AFP)

France break Germany's 50-year trend of beating host teams

Boateng was injured during Germany's final group win against Northern Ireland

Germany will decide on the eve of their Euro 2016 round of 16 match against Slovakia on Sunday whether defender Jerome Boateng can help them to another clean sheet en route to what they hope is their fourth continental crown. Boateng did not train with the team on Friday, undergoing an individual session involving cycling and jogging as he battles to overcome a calf muscle injury. The central defender sustained the injury in their final group win over Northern Ireland, with coach Joachim Loew forced to wait until the eve of Sunday's game in Lille to find out if he can play. Boateng has been crucial for the German defence which has yet to concede a goal in this tournament. He had renewed his World Cup-winning partnership in the central defence with Mats Hummels, with both players only recently back from injury. They will need all the defensive prowess they can muster if they are not to replicate the mistakes that led to their 3-1 loss to the Slovaks in their friendly international on a rain-drenched pitch in May. A new pitch has been laid in Lille after heavy rain and frequent play had damaged it irreparably. Germany, who won the tournament in 1972, 1980 and 1996, are prepared for the game, keeper Manuel Neuer said. "We have to keep a clean sheet," Neuer told reporters on Friday. "We know that we can concede goals as well. But so far we have defended well and in knockout games we want to keep a clean sheet." Slovakia's Marek Hamsik and Vladimir Weiss will have their work cut out against the solid German backline, with full backs Jonas Hector and Joshua Kimmich in fine form. Hamsik has been in equally stellar form, drilling in one goal and setting up another in their 2-1 victory over Russia in the group. He had scored a similarly spectacular long-range effort against the Germans in their friendly victory last month but it is unlikely the world champions will give him so much space again. "You just have to look at a Youtube video with his goals," said Neuer of Hamsik. "It will be important that our holding midfielders stop him early and he does not get a chance to shoot." Slovakia's much bigger task, however, will be to somehow slow down their opponents' quick passing game that on a good day can rip any defensive plan to shreds. Despite having yet to find their perfect mix in attack, Germany have more than double the efforts on goal than their opponents in the entire tournament. With average possession of 65 'per cent and passing accuracy at a staggering 91 'per cent, Germany are expected to maintain their pressure throughout the game as they look for a last eight spot. "The huge euphoria is maybe not there yet (in Germany) but if we beat Slovakia and then play against a big opponent then we can say we have arrived at the tournament," Neuer said. (Reuters)

German defender Boateng faces fitness test before Slovakia

Germany defeated old rivals Italy 6-5 in a penalty shootout at Euro 2016 with a winning spot kick from Jonas Hector after the game finished 1-1 following extra time on Saturday to reach the semi-finals. 
 
They will now face the winners of the other quarter-final between hosts France and Iceland, who play today. 
 
Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil, who had experienced a quiet tournament so far, was in the right place to open the scoring in the 65th minute when he turned in Jonas Hector&#39;s cutback after good work from Mario Gomez down the left. 
 
The Italians, however, levelled with a 78th minute penalty from Leonardo Bonucci after Jerome Boateng handled the ball. 
 
Germany, who had not conceded a goal in their previous four tournament matches here, took their time to get going against a well-oiled defence with Thomas Mueller having their best chance before Ozil broke the deadlock after more than an hour. 
 
Bonucci gave Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer no chance 13 minutes later with a well-placed penalty as Italy, who eliminated holders Spain in the last 16, refused to buckle and sent the game into extra-time and a penalty shootout. 
 
(Reuters)

They will now face the winners of the other quarter-final between hosts France and Iceland, who play today

Germany defeated old rivals Italy 6-5 in a penalty shootout at Euro 2016 with a winning spot kick from Jonas Hector after the game finished 1-1 following extra time on Saturday to reach the semi-finals. They will now face the winners of the other quarter-final between hosts France and Iceland, who play today. Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil, who had experienced a quiet tournament so far, was in the right place to open the scoring in the 65th minute when he turned in Jonas Hector's cutback after good work from Mario Gomez down the left. The Italians, however, levelled with a 78th minute penalty from Leonardo Bonucci after Jerome Boateng handled the ball. Germany, who had not conceded a goal in their previous four tournament matches here, took their time to get going against a well-oiled defence with Thomas Mueller having their best chance before Ozil broke the deadlock after more than an hour. Bonucci gave Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer no chance 13 minutes later with a well-placed penalty as Italy, who eliminated holders Spain in the last 16, refused to buckle and sent the game into extra-time and a penalty shootout. (Reuters)

Euro 2016: Germany beat Italy 6-5 in shootout to reach semis

Romania face mounting injury problems ahead of their decisive Euro 2016 tie with Albania following a bruising 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Wednesday. The result means Anghel Iordanescu&rsquo;s men can still qualify for the last 16 from Group A, provided they can win against tournament debutants Albania on Sunday. 
 
However, Romania&rsquo;s prospects appear grim after central midfielder Mihai Pintilii and talismanic left back Razvan Rat hobbled off with injuries at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night. 
 
&ldquo;Pintilii has some physical problems. I don&rsquo;t know if he will be ready for the next game,&rdquo; Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu told a news conference. &ldquo;Rat asked to be substituted. It&rsquo;s difficult to say whether he will play.&rdquo; 
 
Iordanescu, in his third stint in charge of the national team, said Rat&rsquo;s second-half replacement Steliano Filip was also hurt, while goal scorer Bogdan Stancu was suffering from muscle pains. 
 
Romania began well against Switzerland, taking the lead through Stancu&rsquo;s 18th-minute penalty, but they tired after half-time as the Swiss equalised via Admir Mehmedi&rsquo;s fierce 57th-minute half-volley. The Swiss continued to push for a winner that would have guaranteed Vladimir Petkovic&rsquo;s men a place in the knockout rounds, but it was not to be. 
 
&ldquo;We went through two completely opposite halves. First half we controlled the ball, linked play and &hellip; created some other chances,&rdquo; added Iordanescu. &ldquo;We suffered a lot during the second half and were facing huge pressure from Switzerland.&rdquo; 
 
Switzerland again lacked ruthlessness in front of goal, converting only one of their 19 attempts, of which six were on target. 
 
Striker Haris Seferovic, who has struggled at Eintracht Frankfurt this season, wasted two simple chances in the first half. The effort from the rest of the team also seemed patchy.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t say we&rsquo;re very happy with the result,&rdquo; said man-of-the-match Granit Xhaka. &ldquo;It was one of the best performances our national team has shown, we have created so many chances but unfortunately we couldn&rsquo;t win because we didn&rsquo;t finish.&rdquo; 
 
A point against France in their final group match would lift Switzerland to five points, guaranteeing a top-two finish. 
(Reuters)

Central midfielder Mihai Pintilii and left back Razvan Rat had to hobble off the field

Romania face mounting injury problems ahead of their decisive Euro 2016 tie with Albania following a bruising 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Wednesday. The result means Anghel Iordanescu’s men can still qualify for the last 16 from Group A, provided they can win against tournament debutants Albania on Sunday. However, Romania’s prospects appear grim after central midfielder Mihai Pintilii and talismanic left back Razvan Rat hobbled off with injuries at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night. “Pintilii has some physical problems. I don’t know if he will be ready for the next game,” Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu told a news conference. “Rat asked to be substituted. It’s difficult to say whether he will play.” Iordanescu, in his third stint in charge of the national team, said Rat’s second-half replacement Steliano Filip was also hurt, while goal scorer Bogdan Stancu was suffering from muscle pains. Romania began well against Switzerland, taking the lead through Stancu’s 18th-minute penalty, but they tired after half-time as the Swiss equalised via Admir Mehmedi’s fierce 57th-minute half-volley. The Swiss continued to push for a winner that would have guaranteed Vladimir Petkovic’s men a place in the knockout rounds, but it was not to be. “We went through two completely opposite halves. First half we controlled the ball, linked play and … created some other chances,” added Iordanescu. “We suffered a lot during the second half and were facing huge pressure from Switzerland.” Switzerland again lacked ruthlessness in front of goal, converting only one of their 19 attempts, of which six were on target. Striker Haris Seferovic, who has struggled at Eintracht Frankfurt this season, wasted two simple chances in the first half. The effort from the rest of the team also seemed patchy. “I can’t say we’re very happy with the result,” said man-of-the-match Granit Xhaka. “It was one of the best performances our national team has shown, we have created so many chances but unfortunately we couldn’t win because we didn’t finish.” A point against France in their final group match would lift Switzerland to five points, guaranteeing a top-two finish. (Reuters)

Romania face injury woes after draw with Switzerland

Wales manager Chris Coleman has rewarded Hal Robson-Kanu for coming on and scoring the winner against Slovakia with a place in the starting lineup against an unchanged England side in their Group B clash at Euro 2016. 
 
Coleman has made three changes to the side that started against the Slovaks, with Wayne Hennessey starting in goal instead of Danny Ward and Joe Ledley replacing David Edwards, while Robson-Kanu takes the place of Jonathan Williams. 
 
Currently without a club, Robson-Kanu came off the bench to net the winner in the 2-1 victory over Slovakia, while England drew their first game 1-1 after conceding a late goal to Russia. 
 
Wales currently top Group B by three points and can secure their passage to the knockout stages with a win over England in Lens. 
 
England manager Roy Hodgson resisted the temptation to make changes to his side after a lively display against Russia, which means striker Harry Kane and winger Raheem Sterling retain their places despite disappointing in the opener. 
(Reuters)

Wales currently top Group B by three points and can secure their passage to the knockout stages with a win over England in Lens

Wales manager Chris Coleman has rewarded Hal Robson-Kanu for coming on and scoring the winner against Slovakia with a place in the starting lineup against an unchanged England side in their Group B clash at Euro 2016. Coleman has made three changes to the side that started against the Slovaks, with Wayne Hennessey starting in goal instead of Danny Ward and Joe Ledley replacing David Edwards, while Robson-Kanu takes the place of Jonathan Williams. Currently without a club, Robson-Kanu came off the bench to net the winner in the 2-1 victory over Slovakia, while England drew their first game 1-1 after conceding a late goal to Russia. Wales currently top Group B by three points and can secure their passage to the knockout stages with a win over England in Lens. England manager Roy Hodgson resisted the temptation to make changes to his side after a lively display against Russia, which means striker Harry Kane and winger Raheem Sterling retain their places despite disappointing in the opener. (Reuters)

Robson-Kanu starts as Wales make three changes for England clash

Seven&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;football&nbsp;fans&nbsp;beat up three Spanish tourists outside Cologne&#39;s landmark cathedral on Thursday, a police spokesman said. Six of them have been detained, he added.&nbsp;

German media said the&nbsp;Russians were returning to Moscow from the European Championship in France and that two of the Spaniards were seriously injured. 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Two of the three Spaniards are 'seriously injured'

Seven Russian football fans beat up three Spanish tourists outside Cologne's landmark cathedral on Thursday, a police spokesman said. Six of them have been detained, he added. German media said the Russians were returning to Moscow from the European Championship in France and that two of the Spaniards were seriously injured. (Reuters)

At it again, this time Russian fans attack Spanish tourists in Colonge

Iceland&#39;s footballers received a heroes welcome on returning home on Monday following their astonishing run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals in France. 
 
Their plane flew low over the capital Reykjavik before landing at Keflavik airport where the local fire services gave them a fire hose guard of honour with shooting water creating a rainbow. 
 
Striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, who scored a consolation goal in the crushing 5-2 defeat to the hosts at the Stade de France on Sunday, said he was happy to be home. 
 
&quot;It was a dream come true to get that support,&quot; he said of the estimated 30,000 fans - some 10 per cent of the population - who followed the nation to France. 
 
&quot;We experienced something simply wonderful, it was a dream come true and we are proud to have brought such cheer to our country,&quot; he said, adding that the friendly behaviour of the fans had done the country proud. 
 
The players were then paraded through the streets of the capital on a double decker bus in the direction of Arnarholl Park, to celebrate with their fans and sing the famous huh - the Viking war chant - which is actually Scottish, punctuated by hand clapping. 
 
&quot;Fairy tales still exist! It&#39;s rare - if indeed this has ever happened - to unite us Icelanders as you did on the football pitch,&quot; Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson told the team in downtown Reykjavik, to the resounding cheers of tens of thousands of supporters. 
 
&quot;You are a national treasure!&quot; he added as fans waved flags and team jerseys, and children held aloft cards with their favourite players. 
 
To the delight of the crowd, the heroes of the day sang the huh watched emotionally by Swedish coach Lars Lagerback who hailed a &quot;team performance&quot; and confided he felt &quot;at home&quot; whenever he was in Iceland. 
 
Many present had also followed the team to France. &quot;They react with pride even after defeat. They did not give up, they did not stop, they return as heroes,&quot; said August Ingi Kristjansson, a 23-year-old who was present in Stade de France on Sunday. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m just so proud!&quot; added Sverrir Gardarsson. &quot;What will happen next? We will rule the world!&quot; 
 
Iceland drew with Hungary and Portugal, then beat Austria to book a last-16 place, where they then defeated England 2-1 to set up a quarter-final with France. 
 
(AFP)

The team plane landed at Keflavik airport where the local fire services gave them a fire hose guard of honour with shooting water

Iceland's footballers received a heroes welcome on returning home on Monday following their astonishing run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals in France. Their plane flew low over the capital Reykjavik before landing at Keflavik airport where the local fire services gave them a fire hose guard of honour with shooting water creating a rainbow. Striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, who scored a consolation goal in the crushing 5-2 defeat to the hosts at the Stade de France on Sunday, said he was happy to be home. "It was a dream come true to get that support," he said of the estimated 30,000 fans - some 10 per cent of the population - who followed the nation to France. "We experienced something simply wonderful, it was a dream come true and we are proud to have brought such cheer to our country," he said, adding that the friendly behaviour of the fans had done the country proud. The players were then paraded through the streets of the capital on a double decker bus in the direction of Arnarholl Park, to celebrate with their fans and sing the famous huh - the Viking war chant - which is actually Scottish, punctuated by hand clapping. "Fairy tales still exist! It's rare - if indeed this has ever happened - to unite us Icelanders as you did on the football pitch," Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson told the team in downtown Reykjavik, to the resounding cheers of tens of thousands of supporters. "You are a national treasure!" he added as fans waved flags and team jerseys, and children held aloft cards with their favourite players. To the delight of the crowd, the heroes of the day sang the huh watched emotionally by Swedish coach Lars Lagerback who hailed a "team performance" and confided he felt "at home" whenever he was in Iceland. Many present had also followed the team to France. "They react with pride even after defeat. They did not give up, they did not stop, they return as heroes," said August Ingi Kristjansson, a 23-year-old who was present in Stade de France on Sunday. "I'm just so proud!" added Sverrir Gardarsson. "What will happen next? We will rule the world!" Iceland drew with Hungary and Portugal, then beat Austria to book a last-16 place, where they then defeated England 2-1 to set up a quarter-final with France. (AFP)

Euro 2016: Iceland returns home to cheering crowds and Viking war chants

The two most expensive players in football go head-to-head on Wednesday when Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal against club teammate Gareth Bale and Wales in a Euro 2016 semi-final which could lead one to unprecendented glory. 
 
Bale is junior partner when the two line up for Real Madrid, despite winning two Champions Leagues in three years since arriving in Spain for a world record fee to team up with Ronaldo. 
 
However, his performances and three goals in France in leading Wales to their first semi-final in a major tournament, allied to his starring role at the end of Madrid&#39;s season, suggest Bale at 26 is in line to take over from Ronaldo now 31. 
 
The key to Bale&#39;s and Wales&#39; success has been built upon a remarkable unity which their star man fosters. 
 
&quot;With our team spirit, it&#39;s like being with your mates on holiday,&quot; said Bale last week, clearly more at ease with the joviality in the Wales camp than the pressure cooker Madrid dressing room. 
 
&#39;Together stronger&#39; has been the moto of Wales&#39; historic campaign. A unity captured perfectly in the goal that kick-started their run after Bale smashed a free-kick into the Slovakia net just 10 minutes into their first match at a major tournament in 58 years. 
 
With much hype and the expectations of a nation resting on his shoulders, Bale wheeled away in celebration and headed straight into a pack of adoring teammates and coaching staff by the Wales bench. 
 
&quot;Balo is just a nice guy, a nice human being, a family guy. He&#39;s livelier on the pitch than off it because he doesn&#39;t say a lot. He&#39;s very much one of the lads. He&#39;s quiet, unassuming - that&#39;s just his personality,&quot; said Wales boss Chris Coleman. 
 
&quot;He has matured a bit more as he got older, but he has always been the same person really &ndash; very quiet and it doesn&rsquo;t float his boat, all the attention he gets.&quot; 
 
Despite the quiet nature, Coleman insists that Bale is a leader in his own right by setting standards for his teammates to match. 
 
&quot;He could be a little bit more demanding because of his game. But that&#39;s why he has got so much respect of the players because he&rsquo;s not like that.&quot; 
 
&quot;They automatically want to gravitate that way to where he is. And that&rsquo;s how it should be, you know. It&rsquo;s not bringing him down to where we are, and myself included, because he is a special talent.&quot; 
 
Ballon d&#39;Or in play 
 
Ronaldo&#39;s road to a third Euros semi-final has been more testing. 
 
Frustrated by Iceland in an opening 1-1 draw, the three-time world player of the year lashed out at the Atlantic islanders&#39; &quot;small mentality&quot; - an outburst at odds with the widespread fondness for Iceland&#39;s fairytale run. 
 
A missed penalty against Austria was papered over by a double against Hungary, which saw him become the first player to score at four European Championship finals. 
 
Ronaldo has subsequently been kept quiet by both Croatia and Poland in the knockout stage, but will still never have a better chance to cap a glorious career with a maiden international triumph as Portugal have progressed to the last four without winning a match in 90 minutes. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always said, and I don&#39;t hide it, that I would love to win a title with the national team. We&#39;re on the right road,&quot; he said after squeezing past the Poles on penalties. 
 
However, Ronaldo will also have his eyes on the individual prize when facing Bale in Lyon. 
 
With both having contributed to Madrid&#39;s 11th European Cup win in May - and hot on the heels of Lionel Messi&#39;s retirement from international football - whoever emerges victorious from Ronaldo and Bale&#39;s personal duel will be favourite to win the Ballon d&#39;Or as the world&#39;s best player for 2016. 
 
&quot;Ronaldo is a cannibal. He wants it all. Even in a situation where it seems so difficult to focus on the personal objective like this, he doesn&#39;t lose sight of achieving it,&quot; said Madrid sports daily Marca on Sunday. 
 
&quot;He is not just playing for the first (tournament win for Portugal), but also his fourth (Balon d&#39;Or).&quot; 
 
By contrast, Coleman insists a Zurich gala in January will be the furthest thing from Bale&#39;s mind in Lyon. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think that is in Gareth&#39;s head. Of course he&#39;s a human being. Thoughts will run through his mind, but he&#39;ll be thinking about how we perform in the next game and nothing beyond that.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Bale's recent performances suggest he is in line to take over from club teammate Ronaldo

The two most expensive players in football go head-to-head on Wednesday when Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal against club teammate Gareth Bale and Wales in a Euro 2016 semi-final which could lead one to unprecendented glory. Bale is junior partner when the two line up for Real Madrid, despite winning two Champions Leagues in three years since arriving in Spain for a world record fee to team up with Ronaldo. However, his performances and three goals in France in leading Wales to their first semi-final in a major tournament, allied to his starring role at the end of Madrid's season, suggest Bale at 26 is in line to take over from Ronaldo now 31. The key to Bale's and Wales' success has been built upon a remarkable unity which their star man fosters. "With our team spirit, it's like being with your mates on holiday," said Bale last week, clearly more at ease with the joviality in the Wales camp than the pressure cooker Madrid dressing room. 'Together stronger' has been the moto of Wales' historic campaign. A unity captured perfectly in the goal that kick-started their run after Bale smashed a free-kick into the Slovakia net just 10 minutes into their first match at a major tournament in 58 years. With much hype and the expectations of a nation resting on his shoulders, Bale wheeled away in celebration and headed straight into a pack of adoring teammates and coaching staff by the Wales bench. "Balo is just a nice guy, a nice human being, a family guy. He's livelier on the pitch than off it because he doesn't say a lot. He's very much one of the lads. He's quiet, unassuming - that's just his personality," said Wales boss Chris Coleman. "He has matured a bit more as he got older, but he has always been the same person really – very quiet and it doesn’t float his boat, all the attention he gets." Despite the quiet nature, Coleman insists that Bale is a leader in his own right by setting standards for his teammates to match. "He could be a little bit more demanding because of his game. But that's why he has got so much respect of the players because he’s not like that." "They automatically want to gravitate that way to where he is. And that’s how it should be, you know. It’s not bringing him down to where we are, and myself included, because he is a special talent." Ballon d'Or in play Ronaldo's road to a third Euros semi-final has been more testing. Frustrated by Iceland in an opening 1-1 draw, the three-time world player of the year lashed out at the Atlantic islanders' "small mentality" - an outburst at odds with the widespread fondness for Iceland's fairytale run. A missed penalty against Austria was papered over by a double against Hungary, which saw him become the first player to score at four European Championship finals. Ronaldo has subsequently been kept quiet by both Croatia and Poland in the knockout stage, but will still never have a better chance to cap a glorious career with a maiden international triumph as Portugal have progressed to the last four without winning a match in 90 minutes. "I've always said, and I don't hide it, that I would love to win a title with the national team. We're on the right road," he said after squeezing past the Poles on penalties. However, Ronaldo will also have his eyes on the individual prize when facing Bale in Lyon. With both having contributed to Madrid's 11th European Cup win in May - and hot on the heels of Lionel Messi's retirement from international football - whoever emerges victorious from Ronaldo and Bale's personal duel will be favourite to win the Ballon d'Or as the world's best player for 2016. "Ronaldo is a cannibal. He wants it all. Even in a situation where it seems so difficult to focus on the personal objective like this, he doesn't lose sight of achieving it," said Madrid sports daily Marca on Sunday. "He is not just playing for the first (tournament win for Portugal), but also his fourth (Balon d'Or)." By contrast, Coleman insists a Zurich gala in January will be the furthest thing from Bale's mind in Lyon. "I don't think that is in Gareth's head. Of course he's a human being. Thoughts will run through his mind, but he'll be thinking about how we perform in the next game and nothing beyond that." (AFP)

Bale and Ronaldo to go head-to-head

The Football Association (FA) might struggle to convince top managers to take the England job, chairman Greg Dyke has said. 
 
Former manager Roy Hodgson resigned following the team&#39;s ignominious Euro 2016 exit to Iceland on Monday. A three-man panel of FA staff has begun the job of finding his successor. 
 
England under-21 coach Gareth Southgate has been linked by British media with the job, amongst a list that includes Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, Bournemouth`s, Eddie Howe, Hull City&#39;s, Steve Bruce, and former England manager, Glenn Hoddle. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s got to be somebody who really knows English football,&quot; Dyke, whose term ends in July, told British media. 
 
&quot;But there&#39;s loads of them now, more of them than there are English. The harder question is why anybody would want it. 
 
&quot;They get media pressure that no one else in football gets.&quot; 
 
However, David Bernstein, a former FA chairman, backed Sunderland manager, Sam Allardyce, to succeed Hodgson. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not saying we should have an English manager. But, of the English managers, I actually would go for Sam Allardyce,&quot; Bernstein said. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a very powerful character. I think he has got the personality, the strength, he&#39;s a good technical manager, he&#39;s very experienced and he&#39;s someone who perhaps could imbue confidence.&quot; 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

After the harsh defeat against Iceland and coach Roy Hodgson's resignations, England struggles to find its new manager

The Football Association (FA) might struggle to convince top managers to take the England job, chairman Greg Dyke has said. Former manager Roy Hodgson resigned following the team's ignominious Euro 2016 exit to Iceland on Monday. A three-man panel of FA staff has begun the job of finding his successor. England under-21 coach Gareth Southgate has been linked by British media with the job, amongst a list that includes Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, Bournemouth`s, Eddie Howe, Hull City's, Steve Bruce, and former England manager, Glenn Hoddle. "It's got to be somebody who really knows English football," Dyke, whose term ends in July, told British media. "But there's loads of them now, more of them than there are English. The harder question is why anybody would want it. "They get media pressure that no one else in football gets." However, David Bernstein, a former FA chairman, backed Sunderland manager, Sam Allardyce, to succeed Hodgson. "I'm not saying we should have an English manager. But, of the English managers, I actually would go for Sam Allardyce," Bernstein said. "He's a very powerful character. I think he has got the personality, the strength, he's a good technical manager, he's very experienced and he's someone who perhaps could imbue confidence." (Reuters)

'Finding new coach for England not an easy job'

Ultra-nationalist and schooled in their country&#39;s historical grievances, Russian soccer hooligans see themselves as fighting the Kremlin&#39;s geopolitical battles in miniature when they clash with foreign fans at the Euro 2016 tournament. 
 
&quot;Our fans in Marseille are a copy of Russian foreign policy&quot;, Professor Sergei Medvedev from Moscow&#39;s Higher School of Economics, wrote on social media after Saturday&#39;s clashes around the England-Russia game in the French city of Marseille. 
 
Describing the mentality of the Russian hooligans, he said: &quot;&#39;We won&#39;t win the championship but lets at least put on a brave face, beat some people up, and have the whole world talking about us&quot;. 
 
Not subject to the kind of travel bans imposed on English fans who have committed violence, Russian hooligans are free to travel if they have enough money and can get a Schengen visa giving them access to much of Europe. 
 
They represent a strand of nationalism which has become more strident since Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and state media ratcheted up its narrative that the West is enemy number one. 
 
Their conduct in Marseille drew praise in some political circles where sport is seen as an extension of what the Kremlin casts as Russia&#39;s battle for influence on the world stage. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t see anything terrible about fans fighting&quot;, Igor Lebedev, a nationalist who is a deputy speaker in the lower house of parliament and a member of the Russian Football Union&#39;s executive committee, wrote on social media on Monday. 
 
&quot;On the contrary, our guys were great. Keep it up!&quot; 
 
French authorities said about 150 hard-core Russian fans took part in the violence in Marseille. Marseille&#39;s chief prosecutor said some of the Russians involved in the worst of the violence had been trained to fight. 
 
European soccer&#39;s governing body, UEFA, has threatened to expel the Russian and English teams from the championship if the violence persists. 
 
The Russian authorities, already embroiled in a sports doping scandal before the Rio Olympics, have appealed to fans not to do anything to endanger the country&#39;s ability to host the World Cup soccer finals in 2018. 
 
The Russian hooligans, who often refer to themselves as &#39;ultras&#39;, belong to an organised tradition of hooliganism which has its roots mainly around clubs in Moscow and St Petersburg. They belong to &quot;firms&quot; modelled on what they view as the 1970s heyday of English soccer fans&#39; thuggery. 
 
After Saturday&#39;s clashes, some posted photos of themselves on social media holding stolen English supporters&#39; flags upside down -- some spotted with blood -- as trophies. 
 
&quot;So-called &#39;active fans&#39; have their own European championships&quot;, said Komsomolskaya Pravda, a tabloid newspaper. &quot;And in the alternative Euros the Russian team&#39;s fans are the clear favourites and will try to prove their supremacy&quot;. 
 
Many are tattooed with nationalist and Orthodox Christian slogans. Some have links to white supremacist far-right groups and, at matches in Russia, have unfurled Nazi flags and taunted black players by throwing banana skins on to the pitch and making monkey sounds. 
 
Although Russian authorities have banned the worst offenders from domestic stadiums, high-level political criticism of their behaviour has been rare. 
 
Russian soccer fan sites were on Monday awash with praise for what they portrayed as a famous victory over soft English soccer hooligans in France. 
 
&quot;The stupid (Anglo-) Saxons&quot;, wrote a fan nicknamed Red Bear (RedMedved). &quot;They saw &#39;barbaric&#39; Russia face-to-face and all their courage evaporated and they ran away&quot;. 
 
Some people saw the violence as part of Russia&#39;s geopolitical standoff with the West. 
 
&quot;Take my word for it. This is purely our symbolic reply to your sanctions and interference in our internal affairs in Ukraine,&quot; Valentin Polyakov, from the city of Rostov-on-Don, said of the Marseille violence on Komsomolskaya Pravda&#39;s site. 
 
His view reflects Russian frustration -- fuelled by state media -- over Western sanctions on Russia over Moscow&#39;s role in Ukraine, where Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists are locked in a low-level conflict. 
 
Russians supporters complained of what they called English &quot;provocations&quot; including rude songs about Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova, suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
 
Some state media reported how 250 Russian fans had managed to get the better of more than 1,000 England supporters. 
 
Russian fans have a history of violence, including a rampage in Moscow in which cars were overturned and two people were killed after Japan beat their team in the 2002 World Cup. 
 
They also rioted near the Kremlin in 2010 after a Spartak Moscow fan was shot dead in a fight with men from Russia&#39;s mainly Muslim North Caucasus area, brawling with riot police and attacking dark-skinned passers-by. 
 
Trouble flared again at the Euro 2012 tournament hosted by Poland and Ukraine when Russian fans fought with Polish supporters and hurled racist abuse at a black player.

They see themselves as fighting the Kremlin's geopolitical battles in miniature

Ultra-nationalist and schooled in their country's historical grievances, Russian soccer hooligans see themselves as fighting the Kremlin's geopolitical battles in miniature when they clash with foreign fans at the Euro 2016 tournament. "Our fans in Marseille are a copy of Russian foreign policy", Professor Sergei Medvedev from Moscow's Higher School of Economics, wrote on social media after Saturday's clashes around the England-Russia game in the French city of Marseille. Describing the mentality of the Russian hooligans, he said: "'We won't win the championship but lets at least put on a brave face, beat some people up, and have the whole world talking about us". Not subject to the kind of travel bans imposed on English fans who have committed violence, Russian hooligans are free to travel if they have enough money and can get a Schengen visa giving them access to much of Europe. They represent a strand of nationalism which has become more strident since Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and state media ratcheted up its narrative that the West is enemy number one. Their conduct in Marseille drew praise in some political circles where sport is seen as an extension of what the Kremlin casts as Russia's battle for influence on the world stage. "I don't see anything terrible about fans fighting", Igor Lebedev, a nationalist who is a deputy speaker in the lower house of parliament and a member of the Russian Football Union's executive committee, wrote on social media on Monday. "On the contrary, our guys were great. Keep it up!" French authorities said about 150 hard-core Russian fans took part in the violence in Marseille. Marseille's chief prosecutor said some of the Russians involved in the worst of the violence had been trained to fight. European soccer's governing body, UEFA, has threatened to expel the Russian and English teams from the championship if the violence persists. The Russian authorities, already embroiled in a sports doping scandal before the Rio Olympics, have appealed to fans not to do anything to endanger the country's ability to host the World Cup soccer finals in 2018. The Russian hooligans, who often refer to themselves as 'ultras', belong to an organised tradition of hooliganism which has its roots mainly around clubs in Moscow and St Petersburg. They belong to "firms" modelled on what they view as the 1970s heyday of English soccer fans' thuggery. After Saturday's clashes, some posted photos of themselves on social media holding stolen English supporters' flags upside down -- some spotted with blood -- as trophies. "So-called 'active fans' have their own European championships", said Komsomolskaya Pravda, a tabloid newspaper. "And in the alternative Euros the Russian team's fans are the clear favourites and will try to prove their supremacy". Many are tattooed with nationalist and Orthodox Christian slogans. Some have links to white supremacist far-right groups and, at matches in Russia, have unfurled Nazi flags and taunted black players by throwing banana skins on to the pitch and making monkey sounds. Although Russian authorities have banned the worst offenders from domestic stadiums, high-level political criticism of their behaviour has been rare. Russian soccer fan sites were on Monday awash with praise for what they portrayed as a famous victory over soft English soccer hooligans in France. "The stupid (Anglo-) Saxons", wrote a fan nicknamed Red Bear (RedMedved). "They saw 'barbaric' Russia face-to-face and all their courage evaporated and they ran away". Some people saw the violence as part of Russia's geopolitical standoff with the West. "Take my word for it. This is purely our symbolic reply to your sanctions and interference in our internal affairs in Ukraine," Valentin Polyakov, from the city of Rostov-on-Don, said of the Marseille violence on Komsomolskaya Pravda's site. His view reflects Russian frustration -- fuelled by state media -- over Western sanctions on Russia over Moscow's role in Ukraine, where Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists are locked in a low-level conflict. Russians supporters complained of what they called English "provocations" including rude songs about Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova, suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some state media reported how 250 Russian fans had managed to get the better of more than 1,000 England supporters. Russian fans have a history of violence, including a rampage in Moscow in which cars were overturned and two people were killed after Japan beat their team in the 2002 World Cup. They also rioted near the Kremlin in 2010 after a Spartak Moscow fan was shot dead in a fight with men from Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus area, brawling with riot police and attacking dark-skinned passers-by. Trouble flared again at the Euro 2012 tournament hosted by Poland and Ukraine when Russian fans fought with Polish supporters and hurled racist abuse at a black player.

Russian football fans a copy of the country's foreign policy

Bordeaux: Belgium rediscovered their most blistering form to batter group E rivals Ireland 3-0 thanks to a brace from Romelu Lukaku and an Axel Witsel header on Saturday. 
 
The victory of the world&#39;s second-ranked team was in stark contrast to their limp defeat in their opening Euro 2016 match against Italy. 
 
Despite dominating the opening half, it still took until the opening minutes of the second period for Belgium to take the lead when Lukaku finished a counter-attack by rifling a shot into the far corner. 
 
Ireland had a brief positive spell but Witsel made it two for Belgium with a pinpoint header after 61 minutes, and Lukaku completed the rout with a simple finish after another counter-attack nine minutes later. 
 
With Italy having beaten both the Belgians and Sweden to win the group, the victory puts Belgium in second place on three points with the Irish and Sweden stuck on a point apiece. 
 
&quot;We were under pressure before today,&quot; Belgium&#39;s Kevin De Bruyne, the game&#39;s outstanding player, said. &quot;And we came out with the right reponse.&quot; 
 
Coach Marc Wilmots made three changes to the Belgium line-up that struggled against Italy, and they immediately appeared more vibrant and cohesive. 
 
Their speed and fluidity improved, with the introduction of Thomas Meunier and Yannick Carrasco giving them a menace out wide which had been missing in their opener. 
 
De Bruyne kept his place despite a subdued showing against Italy and, vastly improved, he set the tone with a searing 13th-minute corner which Toby Alderweireld headed wide, before finding his range with a free kick. 
 
Ireland were not without their own threat, as Meunier&#39;s adventures down the right flank left space for Shane Long to exploit, although Martin O&#39;Neill&#39;s side ultimately failed to register a single shot on target during the entire 90 minutes. 
 
Belgium began to dominate, with De Bruyne&#39;s teasing delivery forcing a diving header from John O&#39;Shea on 20 minutes, which inadvertently set up Eden Hazard to fire over. 
 
Wes Hoolahan then cleared off the line as Alderweireld headed another fine De Bruyne corner goalwards. 
 
As Irish resolve strengthened, Wilmots was again left pondering how to forge an effective attacking unit from the Golden Generation&#39;s wealth of striking talent. 
 
It took only three second-half minutes for an answer to emerge, as De Bruyne tore down the right before crossing for Lukaku, who opened his body and sent a curling left-foot effort into the corner of the net. 
 
The goal seemed to release the pressure on Belgium, who celebrated furiously with Wilmots in the corner while their supporters threw flares onto the pitch. 
 
Yet Ireland were justifiably left seething as Alderweireld&#39;s penalty-box high foot on Long in the build-up went unpunished. 
 
Witsel put the contest beyond the Irish 13 minutes later, arriving in the box to head the impressive Meunier&#39;s cross beyond Randolph, whose outstretched hand could not quite divert the thumping effort wide. 
 
In the 70th minute, Belgium added a third in a delicious move that encapsulated the invention and panache that has long been expected from this talented squad. 
 
Meunier, again influential, dispossessed McClean and sent a long ball forward for Hazard down the right. 
 
The attacker, outrageously lapping the linesman on the outside, raced to meet the pass before crossing for Lukaku who swept home with aplomb as Belgium secured their biggest winning scoreline at a major international tournament in 46 years. 
 
&quot;As a team, we had to give a response to everybody who watched the game against Italy,&quot; Hazard said. &quot;The way we responded was good and we really deserved this victory.&quot; 
 
For Ireland, though, there was nothing but disappointment as their winless run at the European Championships was extended to seven games. 
 
&quot;When you&#39;re attacking you&#39;re at your most vulnerable,&quot; O&#39;Shea said. &quot;So we&#39;ll have to work on that.&quot; 
 
This was an emphatic response from Belgium to their critics. 
 
With their first clean sheet in nine matches and a dazzling second-half performance, they had finally realised their potential in a high-profile fixture, reaffirming their title credentials with clinical precision and real style. 
(Reuters)

Team were a changed side from their opening defeat to Italy

Bordeaux: Belgium rediscovered their most blistering form to batter group E rivals Ireland 3-0 thanks to a brace from Romelu Lukaku and an Axel Witsel header on Saturday. The victory of the world's second-ranked team was in stark contrast to their limp defeat in their opening Euro 2016 match against Italy. Despite dominating the opening half, it still took until the opening minutes of the second period for Belgium to take the lead when Lukaku finished a counter-attack by rifling a shot into the far corner. Ireland had a brief positive spell but Witsel made it two for Belgium with a pinpoint header after 61 minutes, and Lukaku completed the rout with a simple finish after another counter-attack nine minutes later. With Italy having beaten both the Belgians and Sweden to win the group, the victory puts Belgium in second place on three points with the Irish and Sweden stuck on a point apiece. "We were under pressure before today," Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne, the game's outstanding player, said. "And we came out with the right reponse." Coach Marc Wilmots made three changes to the Belgium line-up that struggled against Italy, and they immediately appeared more vibrant and cohesive. Their speed and fluidity improved, with the introduction of Thomas Meunier and Yannick Carrasco giving them a menace out wide which had been missing in their opener. De Bruyne kept his place despite a subdued showing against Italy and, vastly improved, he set the tone with a searing 13th-minute corner which Toby Alderweireld headed wide, before finding his range with a free kick. Ireland were not without their own threat, as Meunier's adventures down the right flank left space for Shane Long to exploit, although Martin O'Neill's side ultimately failed to register a single shot on target during the entire 90 minutes. Belgium began to dominate, with De Bruyne's teasing delivery forcing a diving header from John O'Shea on 20 minutes, which inadvertently set up Eden Hazard to fire over. Wes Hoolahan then cleared off the line as Alderweireld headed another fine De Bruyne corner goalwards. As Irish resolve strengthened, Wilmots was again left pondering how to forge an effective attacking unit from the Golden Generation's wealth of striking talent. It took only three second-half minutes for an answer to emerge, as De Bruyne tore down the right before crossing for Lukaku, who opened his body and sent a curling left-foot effort into the corner of the net. The goal seemed to release the pressure on Belgium, who celebrated furiously with Wilmots in the corner while their supporters threw flares onto the pitch. Yet Ireland were justifiably left seething as Alderweireld's penalty-box high foot on Long in the build-up went unpunished. Witsel put the contest beyond the Irish 13 minutes later, arriving in the box to head the impressive Meunier's cross beyond Randolph, whose outstretched hand could not quite divert the thumping effort wide. In the 70th minute, Belgium added a third in a delicious move that encapsulated the invention and panache that has long been expected from this talented squad. Meunier, again influential, dispossessed McClean and sent a long ball forward for Hazard down the right. The attacker, outrageously lapping the linesman on the outside, raced to meet the pass before crossing for Lukaku who swept home with aplomb as Belgium secured their biggest winning scoreline at a major international tournament in 46 years. "As a team, we had to give a response to everybody who watched the game against Italy," Hazard said. "The way we responded was good and we really deserved this victory." For Ireland, though, there was nothing but disappointment as their winless run at the European Championships was extended to seven games. "When you're attacking you're at your most vulnerable," O'Shea said. "So we'll have to work on that." This was an emphatic response from Belgium to their critics. With their first clean sheet in nine matches and a dazzling second-half performance, they had finally realised their potential in a high-profile fixture, reaffirming their title credentials with clinical precision and real style. (Reuters)

Belgium batter Ireland, Lukaku scores twice

England captain Wayne Rooney has set his sights on winning the European Championship, buoyed by the belief that the gap between his team and Europe&#39;s continental footballing elite has narrowed considerably in the past few years. 
 
Monday&#39;s 0-0 draw with Slovakia ensured that England finished second in Group B behind Wales, potentially complicating their route to the final as they are now in the same side of the draw as World Cup winners Germany, defending European champions Spain and hosts France. 
 
English FA chairman Greg Dyke had said before the tournament that making the semi-finals or being eliminated at the quarter-final stage by &quot;a good team&quot; would be considered a success, but Rooney has set his sights considerably higher. 
 
&quot;We are here and we want to win it,&quot; England&#39;s all-time leading goalscorer told reporters. &quot;Whether it happens remains to be seen, but we&#39;re not going to say that getting to the quarter finals will be a sign of progress. I believe we are better than that.&quot; 
 
England have not got past the quarter-finals in their last three European Championships and failed to make it out of the group stage at the World Cup in 2014, but Rooney sees cause for optimism this time round. 
 
&quot;If this was four years ago and you were saying you have to play France, Spain and Germany you would have been worried,&quot; he added. &quot;I think the gap has changed, and not just with ourselves, but with the likes of Wales. The gap to get to those teams is not as big.&quot; 
 
Manager Roy Hodgson&#39;s men are aiming for their first major international title since the 1966 World Cup, but will have to find a way past an inspired Iceland in the round of 16 game on Monday. They could face France for a spot in the last four. 
 
Hodgson took six strikers to France, but his team have struggled to turn dominance into goals, scoring three times in three group games and winning only one. 
 
Despite the team&#39;s struggles in the final third, Rooney, who has been pulling the strings from a deeper midfield position, said the talent in the side meant he felt less pressure to deliver. 
 
&quot;I have always gone into a tournament thinking if I don&#39;t play at my best I cannot see us winning it,&quot; said the player who burst on to the international stage as an 18-year old with four goals at Euro 2004. 
 
Rooney has since failed to make a telling impact at the continental championship and though he is yet to open his account in France, he is pleased that the England squad have the talent to ease the burden of expectation on his shoulders. 
 
&quot;I have come into this tournament and we have several players capable of doing magical things. We have five or six match winners in our team and I cannot say we have always had that,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Believes the gap between his team and Europe's footballing elite has narrowed considerably in the past few years

England captain Wayne Rooney has set his sights on winning the European Championship, buoyed by the belief that the gap between his team and Europe's continental footballing elite has narrowed considerably in the past few years. Monday's 0-0 draw with Slovakia ensured that England finished second in Group B behind Wales, potentially complicating their route to the final as they are now in the same side of the draw as World Cup winners Germany, defending European champions Spain and hosts France. English FA chairman Greg Dyke had said before the tournament that making the semi-finals or being eliminated at the quarter-final stage by "a good team" would be considered a success, but Rooney has set his sights considerably higher. "We are here and we want to win it," England's all-time leading goalscorer told reporters. "Whether it happens remains to be seen, but we're not going to say that getting to the quarter finals will be a sign of progress. I believe we are better than that." England have not got past the quarter-finals in their last three European Championships and failed to make it out of the group stage at the World Cup in 2014, but Rooney sees cause for optimism this time round. "If this was four years ago and you were saying you have to play France, Spain and Germany you would have been worried," he added. "I think the gap has changed, and not just with ourselves, but with the likes of Wales. The gap to get to those teams is not as big." Manager Roy Hodgson's men are aiming for their first major international title since the 1966 World Cup, but will have to find a way past an inspired Iceland in the round of 16 game on Monday. They could face France for a spot in the last four. Hodgson took six strikers to France, but his team have struggled to turn dominance into goals, scoring three times in three group games and winning only one. Despite the team's struggles in the final third, Rooney, who has been pulling the strings from a deeper midfield position, said the talent in the side meant he felt less pressure to deliver. "I have always gone into a tournament thinking if I don't play at my best I cannot see us winning it," said the player who burst on to the international stage as an 18-year old with four goals at Euro 2004. Rooney has since failed to make a telling impact at the continental championship and though he is yet to open his account in France, he is pleased that the England squad have the talent to ease the burden of expectation on his shoulders. "I have come into this tournament and we have several players capable of doing magical things. We have five or six match winners in our team and I cannot say we have always had that," he said. (Reuters)

England can win Euro 2016, says captain Rooney

He has won it all at club level and has three world player of the year awards but on Sunday Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated as never before, with tears of joy streaming down his face after his Portugal beat France 1-0 to win the European Championship. 
 
Two hours earlier, there had been very different tears after he had been taken out of the game on a stretcher, just 25 minutes into the final at the Stade de France, his night over and his team left to fight on without their talisman. 
 
Portugal&rsquo;s triumph, thanks to a long-range goal in the second period of extra time by substitute striker Eder, was their first major trophy and will ease the memory of their painful loss to Greece in the Euro 2004 final, on home turf in Lisbon. 
 
A 19-year-old Ronaldo had played on the wing in that defeat and he must have wondered if he would ever get a chance to make amends. 
 
&quot;I am very happy. I have been looking for this for a long time, since 2004. I asked God for another chance at this because we deserved it,&rdquo; he told reporters. 
 
&ldquo;Today I was unfortunate, I was injured but I always believed that these players, together with the strategy, would be strong enough to beat France,&quot; the Real madrid forward added. 
 
&quot;This is one of the happiest moments in my career, I always said I&#39;d like to win something with Portugal. For me this is an amazing unique moment for all Portuguese.&quot; 
 
Ronaldo&rsquo;s career has been a glittering combination of individual brilliance, multiple success at club level and constant comparisons with the other great player of his generation, Barcelona&rsquo;s Argentine forward Lionel Messi. 
 
Messi has famously never won a major trophy with his country and just a few weeks ago announced he was quitting his national team after their latest disappointment -- a Copa America defeat on penalties to Chile, with Messi missing his spot-kick. 
 
Now to add to three Premier League titles and a Champions League win from his time with Manchester United, a Spanish league crown and two Champions League triumphs with Real Madrid, Ronaldo has a major trophy with Portugal. 
 
He was right to credit his team mates and coach Fernando Santos&rsquo;s because while he may have been the man who got them to the final with his goal and assist in the last-four win over Wales, it was the squad who delivered his medal. 
 
&quot;It was tough to lose our main man,&rdquo; defender Pepe said. 
 
&ldquo;The man who could at any moment score a goal. He could make the difference but we were warriors on the pitch. We said we would win it for him and we managed to do that.&quot; &nbsp; 
 
Ronaldo had been on the field before extra time encouraging his team mates and goalscorer Eder said had made an impact. 
 
&ldquo;Cristiano told me I would be scoring the winning goal. He and all my team mates,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;He gave me strength and positive energy. And that goal was really important,&rdquo; he said. 
 
Ronaldo&rsquo;s critics have often pointed to his ego but Santos said his behaviour after suffering his injury had been exemplary.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Cristiano is an amazing example. Today he tried to remain on the pitch. He was very strong in the locker room, he helped all of the boys, that &#39;s the definition of teamwork.&rdquo; 
 
(Reuters)

He cried as he was stretchered off 24 minutes into the game, and again when he lifted the trophy

He has won it all at club level and has three world player of the year awards but on Sunday Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated as never before, with tears of joy streaming down his face after his Portugal beat France 1-0 to win the European Championship. Two hours earlier, there had been very different tears after he had been taken out of the game on a stretcher, just 25 minutes into the final at the Stade de France, his night over and his team left to fight on without their talisman. Portugal’s triumph, thanks to a long-range goal in the second period of extra time by substitute striker Eder, was their first major trophy and will ease the memory of their painful loss to Greece in the Euro 2004 final, on home turf in Lisbon. A 19-year-old Ronaldo had played on the wing in that defeat and he must have wondered if he would ever get a chance to make amends. "I am very happy. I have been looking for this for a long time, since 2004. I asked God for another chance at this because we deserved it,” he told reporters. “Today I was unfortunate, I was injured but I always believed that these players, together with the strategy, would be strong enough to beat France," the Real madrid forward added. "This is one of the happiest moments in my career, I always said I'd like to win something with Portugal. For me this is an amazing unique moment for all Portuguese." Ronaldo’s career has been a glittering combination of individual brilliance, multiple success at club level and constant comparisons with the other great player of his generation, Barcelona’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi. Messi has famously never won a major trophy with his country and just a few weeks ago announced he was quitting his national team after their latest disappointment -- a Copa America defeat on penalties to Chile, with Messi missing his spot-kick. Now to add to three Premier League titles and a Champions League win from his time with Manchester United, a Spanish league crown and two Champions League triumphs with Real Madrid, Ronaldo has a major trophy with Portugal. He was right to credit his team mates and coach Fernando Santos’s because while he may have been the man who got them to the final with his goal and assist in the last-four win over Wales, it was the squad who delivered his medal. "It was tough to lose our main man,” defender Pepe said. “The man who could at any moment score a goal. He could make the difference but we were warriors on the pitch. We said we would win it for him and we managed to do that." Ronaldo had been on the field before extra time encouraging his team mates and goalscorer Eder said had made an impact. “Cristiano told me I would be scoring the winning goal. He and all my team mates," he said. "He gave me strength and positive energy. And that goal was really important,” he said. Ronaldo’s critics have often pointed to his ego but Santos said his behaviour after suffering his injury had been exemplary. "Cristiano is an amazing example. Today he tried to remain on the pitch. He was very strong in the locker room, he helped all of the boys, that 's the definition of teamwork.” (Reuters)

The agony and the ecstasy (of Cristiano)

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said today. 
 
The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain&#39;s Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona. 
 
New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I&#39;ve shown throughout my career at various clubs,&quot; Nolito told the club&#39;s website. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just about trying to play my normal game and let&#39;s hope that I can help Manchester City to win games.&nbsp;I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he&#39;s going to help me progress as a player and I&#39;m sure he&rsquo;ll get the best out of me.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The 29-year-old played in all four games of the Euro 2016, and scored 39 goals in 103 appearances since 2013

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said today. The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain's Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona. New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. "I'll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I've shown throughout my career at various clubs," Nolito told the club's website. "It's just about trying to play my normal game and let's hope that I can help Manchester City to win games. I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he's going to help me progress as a player and I'm sure he’ll get the best out of me." (Reuters)

Manchester City sign Spain's Nolito from Celta Vigo

Robbie Brady scored a glorious late winner for Ireland to put them through to the knockout stages of the European Championship for the first time with a 1-0 win over Group E winners Italy. 
 
Brady scored his 85th minute headed goal from a pinpoint cross by his Norwich City clubmate Wes Hoolahan, who had just spurned a golden opportunity to seal the well-deserved victory himself. 
 
It delivered Irish football one of its most famous nights against a second-string Italy side, with the three points securing third place in the group and setting up a last-16 tie against hosts France in Lyon on Sunday. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s what dreams are made of. I grew up dreaming about this stage and to go and do it in front of my family is the best feeling in the world,&quot; said Brady, who reckoned that scoring the goal felt like &quot;an out of body&quot; experience. 
 
&quot;All applause is for Wes Hoolahan. He put the ball right on my head. I would have done well to miss it. We rode our luck a couple of times, but we got the result in the end. If we stick together like we did tonight, we can take on anyone.&quot; 
 
With his team already guaranteed to top the group, Antonio Conte made eight changes, with only Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Alessandro Florenzi surviving from the side that started against Sweden. 
 
The Irish began like a team on a mission, full back Seamus Coleman thundering into a tackle in the opening seconds to lay down a marker, and plenty of tough challenges from both sides followed. 
 
Ireland almost took an early lead when Jeff Hendrick created some space at the edge of the box and hit a left-footed piledriver that flew just wide of the top corner. 
 
In the 21st minute, Daryl Murphy met Brady&#39;s outswinging corner with a powerful header, forcing Salvatore Sirigu to make a flying save and tip the ball over the bar for another corner. 
 
Italy had to wait until just before halftime for their first decent chance, Ciro Immobile dragging his shot just wide after a well-worked short free kick. 
 
Moments later the Irish were denied what looked like a clear penalty when James McClean was pushed in the back by Federico Bernardeschi, but referee Ovidiu Hategan turned down their appeals, leaving coach Martin O&#39;Neill incandescent with rage. 
 
Simone Zaza almost broke the deadlock on a rare Italian foray forward with a fizzing shot after the break, but then Ireland dominated almost the entire second half. 
 
With Italy content to soak up the considerable pressure, the Irish mixed up their play, alternating between long balls and short passes, and set pieces continued to be a potent weapon. 
 
The Italians were not content to simply concede, and Lorenzo Insigne came on in the 75th minute to make his first appearance at the Euros. Within two minutes, he had curled an exquisite shot past Darren Randolph only to see it come back off the post. 
 
With 13 minutes left and the Irish tiring, O&#39;Neill threw on playmaker Hoolahan, who netted the goal in Ireland&#39;s 1-1 draw with Sweden, in a last-gasp effort to finally unlock the Italian defence. 
 
He missed a glorious chance to put his side ahead minutes later, shooting straight at Sirigu when he got through one-on-one and it looked as if Ireland were heading for elimination. 
 
Yet he made amends soon after, crossing for Brady to head Ireland into the lead and send the Irish fans into raptures. 
 
When Hategan sounded the final whistle, there were wild celebrations from players, coaching staff and fans alike with Ireland&#39;s Euro dream still very much alive. 
 
&quot;We stuck at it and put in a great performance,&quot; Brady said. &quot;In the end we got the result we deserved. Roll on France!&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

It delivered Irish football one of its most famous nights, with the three points setting up a last-16 tie against France on Sunday

Robbie Brady scored a glorious late winner for Ireland to put them through to the knockout stages of the European Championship for the first time with a 1-0 win over Group E winners Italy. Brady scored his 85th minute headed goal from a pinpoint cross by his Norwich City clubmate Wes Hoolahan, who had just spurned a golden opportunity to seal the well-deserved victory himself. It delivered Irish football one of its most famous nights against a second-string Italy side, with the three points securing third place in the group and setting up a last-16 tie against hosts France in Lyon on Sunday. "It's what dreams are made of. I grew up dreaming about this stage and to go and do it in front of my family is the best feeling in the world," said Brady, who reckoned that scoring the goal felt like "an out of body" experience. "All applause is for Wes Hoolahan. He put the ball right on my head. I would have done well to miss it. We rode our luck a couple of times, but we got the result in the end. If we stick together like we did tonight, we can take on anyone." With his team already guaranteed to top the group, Antonio Conte made eight changes, with only Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Alessandro Florenzi surviving from the side that started against Sweden. The Irish began like a team on a mission, full back Seamus Coleman thundering into a tackle in the opening seconds to lay down a marker, and plenty of tough challenges from both sides followed. Ireland almost took an early lead when Jeff Hendrick created some space at the edge of the box and hit a left-footed piledriver that flew just wide of the top corner. In the 21st minute, Daryl Murphy met Brady's outswinging corner with a powerful header, forcing Salvatore Sirigu to make a flying save and tip the ball over the bar for another corner. Italy had to wait until just before halftime for their first decent chance, Ciro Immobile dragging his shot just wide after a well-worked short free kick. Moments later the Irish were denied what looked like a clear penalty when James McClean was pushed in the back by Federico Bernardeschi, but referee Ovidiu Hategan turned down their appeals, leaving coach Martin O'Neill incandescent with rage. Simone Zaza almost broke the deadlock on a rare Italian foray forward with a fizzing shot after the break, but then Ireland dominated almost the entire second half. With Italy content to soak up the considerable pressure, the Irish mixed up their play, alternating between long balls and short passes, and set pieces continued to be a potent weapon. The Italians were not content to simply concede, and Lorenzo Insigne came on in the 75th minute to make his first appearance at the Euros. Within two minutes, he had curled an exquisite shot past Darren Randolph only to see it come back off the post. With 13 minutes left and the Irish tiring, O'Neill threw on playmaker Hoolahan, who netted the goal in Ireland's 1-1 draw with Sweden, in a last-gasp effort to finally unlock the Italian defence. He missed a glorious chance to put his side ahead minutes later, shooting straight at Sirigu when he got through one-on-one and it looked as if Ireland were heading for elimination. Yet he made amends soon after, crossing for Brady to head Ireland into the lead and send the Irish fans into raptures. When Hategan sounded the final whistle, there were wild celebrations from players, coaching staff and fans alike with Ireland's Euro dream still very much alive. "We stuck at it and put in a great performance," Brady said. "In the end we got the result we deserved. Roll on France!" (Reuters)

Euro 2016: Brady's late goal fires Ireland into last-16

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has given a strong indication that he will retire from international footbal after 16 years. 
 
The 35-year-old did not play in any of Spain&#39;s four games at Euro 2016, with national team coach Vicente del Bosque picking Manchester United&#39;s David De Gea in goal. 
 
Casillas, who made his debut in 2000 and is Spain&#39;s most capped player with 167 appearances, posted a video on his twitter account (@casillasworld) of a Rambo film with the dialogue saying: &quot;I don&#39;t know where but I&#39;m going.&quot; 
 
He then posted a message which said: &quot;I&#39;m proud to feel the love of the people today and as always, everyone together for the national team.&quot; 
 
De Gea made a string of saves to keep Spain within striking distance of Italy on Monday before Antonio Conte&#39;s men got a late second goal for a 2-0 second-round win. 
 
The goalkeeper also expressed hope for the future of the national team. He tweeted on @D_DeGea: &quot;Losing is part of the sport as well as getting up after a defeat. We&#39;ll come back!&quot; 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The 35-year-old did not play in any of Spain's four games at Euro 2016

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has given a strong indication that he will retire from international footbal after 16 years. The 35-year-old did not play in any of Spain's four games at Euro 2016, with national team coach Vicente del Bosque picking Manchester United's David De Gea in goal. Casillas, who made his debut in 2000 and is Spain's most capped player with 167 appearances, posted a video on his twitter account (@casillasworld) of a Rambo film with the dialogue saying: "I don't know where but I'm going." He then posted a message which said: "I'm proud to feel the love of the people today and as always, everyone together for the national team." De Gea made a string of saves to keep Spain within striking distance of Italy on Monday before Antonio Conte's men got a late second goal for a 2-0 second-round win. The goalkeeper also expressed hope for the future of the national team. He tweeted on @D_DeGea: "Losing is part of the sport as well as getting up after a defeat. We'll come back!" (Reuters)

Spain football veteran Casillas hints at retirement

Two goals from Antoine Griezmann helped hosts France overcome world champions Germany 2-0 on Thursday to reach the final of Euro 2016, the first competitive victory over their old rivals in 58 years. 
 
Twice winners France will face Portugal in Sunday&#39;s final in Paris after defending stoutly against a Germany side who dominated possession but conceded a needless first-half penalty before being picked off on the break in the second period. 
 
The opening goal arrived in stoppage time when Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli spotted Bastian Schweinsteiger had handled as he challenged Patrice Evra in the air and the tournament&#39;s top scorer Griezmann stepped up to blast the ball home. 
 
Griezmann then poked in his sixth goal of the competition with 18 minutes remaining, after keeper Manuel Neuer flapped at a cross, as France wrapped up their first win over Germany at a major tournament since the 1958 World Cup. 
 
(Reuters)

France will now face Portugal in Sunday's championship match

Two goals from Antoine Griezmann helped hosts France overcome world champions Germany 2-0 on Thursday to reach the final of Euro 2016, the first competitive victory over their old rivals in 58 years. Twice winners France will face Portugal in Sunday's final in Paris after defending stoutly against a Germany side who dominated possession but conceded a needless first-half penalty before being picked off on the break in the second period. The opening goal arrived in stoppage time when Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli spotted Bastian Schweinsteiger had handled as he challenged Patrice Evra in the air and the tournament's top scorer Griezmann stepped up to blast the ball home. Griezmann then poked in his sixth goal of the competition with 18 minutes remaining, after keeper Manuel Neuer flapped at a cross, as France wrapped up their first win over Germany at a major tournament since the 1958 World Cup. (Reuters)

France beat Germany 2-0 to reach Euro final

Germany central defender Jerome Boateng returned to training today after overcoming a muscle injury, and appeared fit for Sunday&#39;s Euro 2016 round of 16 clash against Slovakia. 
 
Boateng picked up a calf muscle injury towards the end of their 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland this week, and his participation on Sunday was in doubt. 
 
He did not train with the team on Friday, undergoing an individual session involving cycling and jogging, and seemed fit on Saturday, as Germany prepare for their departure to Lille later in the day. 
 
The 27-year-old, who has resumed his World-Cup winning partnership in central defence with Mats Hummels, has helped the world champions keep a clean sheet in all three of their group stage matches in the tournament so far. 
 
The winner of the round of 16 match will next play either Italy or Euro holders Spain in the quarter-finals. 
 
(Reuters)

Boateng injured his calf towards the end of their 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland and his participation on Sunday was in doubt

Germany central defender Jerome Boateng returned to training today after overcoming a muscle injury, and appeared fit for Sunday's Euro 2016 round of 16 clash against Slovakia. Boateng picked up a calf muscle injury towards the end of their 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland this week, and his participation on Sunday was in doubt. He did not train with the team on Friday, undergoing an individual session involving cycling and jogging, and seemed fit on Saturday, as Germany prepare for their departure to Lille later in the day. The 27-year-old, who has resumed his World-Cup winning partnership in central defence with Mats Hummels, has helped the world champions keep a clean sheet in all three of their group stage matches in the tournament so far. The winner of the round of 16 match will next play either Italy or Euro holders Spain in the quarter-finals. (Reuters)

Germany's Jerome Boateng back in training for Slovakia game

Albania&#39;s first win at Euro 2016 against Romania on Sunday was the ultimate display of coach Gianni De Biasi&#39;s one-for-all and all-for-one mentality. 
 
The small Balkan nation&#39;s 1-0 victory, which gave them their first three points, meant they still have a chance to reach the knockout phase as the third-placed team behind France and Switzerland. 
 
The encounter was never going to be a goal fest, both teams having qualified thanks to their tight defences. 
 
In his four years as coach, Italian De Biasi has tried various players to find the perfect combination and it seems he found it on Sunday. 
 
He left captain Lorik Cana on the bench despite his comeback from suspension following a red card in their opener. The Italian also brought in Migjen Basha for a packed five-man midfield. 
 
A hard-working 4-5-1 formation soaked up early Romanian pressure before gradually wrenching control as their opponents quickly ran out of ideas. 
 
The outstanding Ledian Memushaj was crucial in keeping the Romanian defence occupied while Armando Sadiku&#39;s header just before halftime was all the motivation the Albanians needed as the door for a last-16 spot cracked open. 
 
Desperately fighting off a late Romanian charge, De Biasi&#39;s players showed the determination that helped them qualify for their first tournament with man-of-the-match centre back Arlind Ajeti leading their defence. 
 
They were left with cramps but aware it was their team work that carried them to their first victory. Albania finally finds itself out of football obscurity with this first win against Romania in 68 years. 
 
It could not be more different for Romania coach Angel Iordanescu, whose 100th game on their bench as coach or assistant coach marked a quick end to their Euro hopes with yet another performance lacking guile and creativity. 
 
They may have scored less than Romania during the tournament, but their focus on defence proved decisive on Sunday as Iordanescu&#39;s men could not find the equaliser that would have given a slim chance to progress. 
 
(Reuters)

This was the side's first win at Euro 2016

Albania's first win at Euro 2016 against Romania on Sunday was the ultimate display of coach Gianni De Biasi's one-for-all and all-for-one mentality. The small Balkan nation's 1-0 victory, which gave them their first three points, meant they still have a chance to reach the knockout phase as the third-placed team behind France and Switzerland. The encounter was never going to be a goal fest, both teams having qualified thanks to their tight defences. In his four years as coach, Italian De Biasi has tried various players to find the perfect combination and it seems he found it on Sunday. He left captain Lorik Cana on the bench despite his comeback from suspension following a red card in their opener. The Italian also brought in Migjen Basha for a packed five-man midfield. A hard-working 4-5-1 formation soaked up early Romanian pressure before gradually wrenching control as their opponents quickly ran out of ideas. The outstanding Ledian Memushaj was crucial in keeping the Romanian defence occupied while Armando Sadiku's header just before halftime was all the motivation the Albanians needed as the door for a last-16 spot cracked open. Desperately fighting off a late Romanian charge, De Biasi's players showed the determination that helped them qualify for their first tournament with man-of-the-match centre back Arlind Ajeti leading their defence. They were left with cramps but aware it was their team work that carried them to their first victory. Albania finally finds itself out of football obscurity with this first win against Romania in 68 years. It could not be more different for Romania coach Angel Iordanescu, whose 100th game on their bench as coach or assistant coach marked a quick end to their Euro hopes with yet another performance lacking guile and creativity. They may have scored less than Romania during the tournament, but their focus on defence proved decisive on Sunday as Iordanescu's men could not find the equaliser that would have given a slim chance to progress. (Reuters)

De Biasi's Albania earn victory for the collective

France ended the group stage of Euro 2016 in the position they wanted but their coach still seems to be looking for the right formula to bring the best out of a team with high expectations. 
 
Didier Deschamps has been tinkering with the team formula since the start of the tournament, making five changes for Sunday&#39;s goalless draw with Switzerland that allowed the host nation to win their group. 
 
France, who have plenty of talent up front, showed potential in the second half against Albania and in the first against Switzerland but they are yet to produce a full-match performance suggesting they could trouble the big guns. 
 
All they have done so far is win one of the weakest groups in the tournament and it remains to be seen how their back four, arguably their weakest point, will hold against more dangerous opponents. 
 
An astute tactician, Deschamps surprised many observers when he left midfielder Paul Pogba and striker Antoine Griezmann, regarded as France&#39;s most dangerous weapons, on the bench for the opening half against Albania. 
 
With his side struggling in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the coach reacted swiftly by sending on Pogba, and then Griezmann and reverting to a 4-3-3 system that eventually wore down Albania&#39;s defence. 
 
There was another surprise on Sunday when Dimitri Payet, who was instrumental in France&#39;s first two wins with a great goal in each, started on the bench, leaving his spot in the starting 11 to Kingsley Coman. 
 
Deschamps will have been pleased with a few things he saw against Switzerland, notably the fact that Pogba, who was all over the pitch in the first half, showed his class at last after subdued displays in his first two outings. 
 
With Pogba in that form and more of the same from Payet, France, will now almost certainly keep relying on a 4-3-3 formation which is working much better for them, and could step up a gear in the knockout stages. 
 
The pair of Laurent Koscielny and Adil Rami now looking safer after showing signs of nerves in warm-up games and against Romania, the defence is less of a worry for Deschamps, even if left back Patrice Evra is looking his age and might be targeted by opponents to come. 
 
Deschamps, who captained France to victory at the 1998 World Cup and at the European Championship two years later, has a reputation for changing everything he touches into gold. 
 
He&#39;s not quite at that level yet at this tournament but there are a few signs suggesting he is moving in the right direction. 
 
(Reuters)

The win ensured that the host nation ended at the top of their group

France ended the group stage of Euro 2016 in the position they wanted but their coach still seems to be looking for the right formula to bring the best out of a team with high expectations. Didier Deschamps has been tinkering with the team formula since the start of the tournament, making five changes for Sunday's goalless draw with Switzerland that allowed the host nation to win their group. France, who have plenty of talent up front, showed potential in the second half against Albania and in the first against Switzerland but they are yet to produce a full-match performance suggesting they could trouble the big guns. All they have done so far is win one of the weakest groups in the tournament and it remains to be seen how their back four, arguably their weakest point, will hold against more dangerous opponents. An astute tactician, Deschamps surprised many observers when he left midfielder Paul Pogba and striker Antoine Griezmann, regarded as France's most dangerous weapons, on the bench for the opening half against Albania. With his side struggling in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the coach reacted swiftly by sending on Pogba, and then Griezmann and reverting to a 4-3-3 system that eventually wore down Albania's defence. There was another surprise on Sunday when Dimitri Payet, who was instrumental in France's first two wins with a great goal in each, started on the bench, leaving his spot in the starting 11 to Kingsley Coman. Deschamps will have been pleased with a few things he saw against Switzerland, notably the fact that Pogba, who was all over the pitch in the first half, showed his class at last after subdued displays in his first two outings. With Pogba in that form and more of the same from Payet, France, will now almost certainly keep relying on a 4-3-3 formation which is working much better for them, and could step up a gear in the knockout stages. The pair of Laurent Koscielny and Adil Rami now looking safer after showing signs of nerves in warm-up games and against Romania, the defence is less of a worry for Deschamps, even if left back Patrice Evra is looking his age and might be targeted by opponents to come. Deschamps, who captained France to victory at the 1998 World Cup and at the European Championship two years later, has a reputation for changing everything he touches into gold. He's not quite at that level yet at this tournament but there are a few signs suggesting he is moving in the right direction. (Reuters)

France home and dry after goalless draw with Switzerland

UEFA said today that it regretted the unrest on the streets of Lille overnight on the eve of the Euro 2016 soccer match between England and Wales, but it stopped taking any action to punish fan violence. 
 
French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans on yesterday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt during Wednesday, 16 of whom were hospitalised. 
 
&quot;UEFA regrets the skirmishes which occurred in Lille last night. Police forces made several arrests and were quick to restore order and keep the situation under control,&quot; said UEFA, European soccer&#39;s governing body,in their statement. 
 
It made no reference to any action it might take. 
 
After violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England&#39;s 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday, UEFA warned England that a repetition of fans&#39; violent behaviour could see the team expelled. 
 
UEFA also told Russia that it would be disqualified if there was repeat of their fans&#39; violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. 
 
Lille was seen as a potential flashpoint for trouble, with Russia also playing in the northern town on Wednesday. The Russians lost 2-1 to Slovakia. 
 
England&#39;s match with Wales in the same Euro 2016 group was due to take place in nearby Lens later on Thursday. 
 
One England fan complained that police had over-reacted on Wednesday night. 
 
&quot;This is a bunch of good fans having a good time. What&#39;s happening is the police are trying to enclose people,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;It&#39;s not hooliganism at all, it&#39;s just a bunch of guys having a good time, having a good drink, that&#39;s it.&quot; 
 
Separately, police in Lyon in southeast France said two fans suffered stab wounds in a fan zone there. 
 
Lyon police said one of those wounded, a Frenchman, had told them that one of his attackers wore an Albania football shirt. 
 
France beat Albania 2-0 in another of Wednesday&#39;s games. 
 
Marseille police also said a further 20 Russian fans were to be expelled from France, while three others were to go on trial. 
(Reuters)

After violence in Marseille, UEFA warned English fans that repetition of hooliganism can disqualify England from the event

UEFA said today that it regretted the unrest on the streets of Lille overnight on the eve of the Euro 2016 soccer match between England and Wales, but it stopped taking any action to punish fan violence. French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans on yesterday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt during Wednesday, 16 of whom were hospitalised. "UEFA regrets the skirmishes which occurred in Lille last night. Police forces made several arrests and were quick to restore order and keep the situation under control," said UEFA, European soccer's governing body,in their statement. It made no reference to any action it might take. After violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England's 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday, UEFA warned England that a repetition of fans' violent behaviour could see the team expelled. UEFA also told Russia that it would be disqualified if there was repeat of their fans' violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. Lille was seen as a potential flashpoint for trouble, with Russia also playing in the northern town on Wednesday. The Russians lost 2-1 to Slovakia. England's match with Wales in the same Euro 2016 group was due to take place in nearby Lens later on Thursday. One England fan complained that police had over-reacted on Wednesday night. "This is a bunch of good fans having a good time. What's happening is the police are trying to enclose people," he told Reuters. "It's not hooliganism at all, it's just a bunch of guys having a good time, having a good drink, that's it." Separately, police in Lyon in southeast France said two fans suffered stab wounds in a fan zone there. Lyon police said one of those wounded, a Frenchman, had told them that one of his attackers wore an Albania football shirt. France beat Albania 2-0 in another of Wednesday's games. Marseille police also said a further 20 Russian fans were to be expelled from France, while three others were to go on trial. (Reuters)

UEFA "regrets" overnight soccer violence ahead of England-Wales match

Battling outsiders Iceland enjoyed a memorable big-stage debut as they clinched a shock 1-1 draw against Euro 2016 Group F favourites Portugal in a captivating match on Tuesday. 
 
It was a miserable evening for Portugal&#39;s top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo even though he equalled Luis Figo&#39;s record of 127 caps for his country. 
 
Iceland produced a typically industrious performance in their maiden appearance at a major tournament with winger Birkir Bjarnason cancelling out Nani&#39;s first-half opener. 
 
Although Portugal dominated for long spells, the result was no more than Iceland deserved. 
 
&quot;We should have scored more goals but we didn&#39;t and pragmatic Iceland took full advantage,&quot; Portugal coach Fernando Santos said in a news conference. 
 
&quot;It was by no means a brilliant performance by us. We have to move better between the lines and keep our focus in defence. 
 
&quot;Considering today&#39;s results, our next game against Austria could have a huge impact. I always said this was a complex group and I still think anything can happen,&quot; added Santos. 
 
With Hungary beating Austria 2-0 earlier, a fascinating battle for late-16 berths looms with Iceland taking on Hungary in their next game. 
 
A string of good saves by goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson, coupled with Ronaldo&#39;s wasteful finishing, was a significant factor for the Nordic nation who fulfilled their pre-match promise to show no nerves. 
 
They went close in the third minute when keeper Rui Patricio denied Gylfi Sigurdsson with a double stop, smothering the rebound after parrying the midfielder&#39;s first effort. 
 
Portugal eventually got into their stride but the final pass kept going astray in the opening 20 minutes, with Iceland&#39;s back four able to close down Ronaldo and Nani. 
 
PERFECT CROSS 
 
The pattern changed after Nani drew a superb reflex save from Halldorsson who kept out his close-range header after Ronaldo delivered a perfect cross from the left. 
 
Iceland saw little of the ball from there on as Ronaldo sent a looping header over the bar and then scuffed his shot straight at Halldorsson after a defence-splitting pass by Pepe. 
 
Portugal, who had 67 percent possession in the first half, made their dominance count after a sweeping one-two between Vieirinha and Andre Gomes on the right handed Nani a simple task to steer the ball home from seven metres. 
 
Roared on by their fans, Iceland equalised out of the blue in the 50th minute as Bjarnason swept in a teasing Johann Gudmundsson centre that caught out Vieirinha. 
 
It seemed to take the wind out of Portugal&#39;s sails, with Ronaldo looking short of pace, although Nani came close to restoring their lead after a glancing header sailed just wide. 
 
Halldorsson then stopped dangerous shots by Gomes and Raphael Guerreiro as well as a deflected Ricardo Quaresma effort before substitute Alfred Finnbogason almost grabbed what would have been a remarkable winner at the other end. 
 
Rui Patricio was barely able to palm away the striker&#39;s stinging drive from the edge of the penalty area as Portugal ended up running out of ideas. 
 
Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, who shares the job with Swede Lars Lagerback, said the draw boosted his team&#39;s hopes of reaching the last 16. 
 
&quot;With a win against Hungary we&#39;d probably be almost there and holding the group&#39;s strongest team to a draw should be a massive confidence boost,&quot; he explained. 
 
&quot;Our defending was fantastic, we were well organised and worked really hard. It&#39;s difficult to single out any individual player as they all deserve credit for a stirring team effort. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s really good to have a point. We can go a little bit more relaxed into the next game,&quot; said Hallgrimsson. 
 
(Reuters)

Ronaldo equalled Luis Figo's record of 127 caps for his team, but that was pretty much it

Battling outsiders Iceland enjoyed a memorable big-stage debut as they clinched a shock 1-1 draw against Euro 2016 Group F favourites Portugal in a captivating match on Tuesday. It was a miserable evening for Portugal's top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo even though he equalled Luis Figo's record of 127 caps for his country. Iceland produced a typically industrious performance in their maiden appearance at a major tournament with winger Birkir Bjarnason cancelling out Nani's first-half opener. Although Portugal dominated for long spells, the result was no more than Iceland deserved. "We should have scored more goals but we didn't and pragmatic Iceland took full advantage," Portugal coach Fernando Santos said in a news conference. "It was by no means a brilliant performance by us. We have to move better between the lines and keep our focus in defence. "Considering today's results, our next game against Austria could have a huge impact. I always said this was a complex group and I still think anything can happen," added Santos. With Hungary beating Austria 2-0 earlier, a fascinating battle for late-16 berths looms with Iceland taking on Hungary in their next game. A string of good saves by goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson, coupled with Ronaldo's wasteful finishing, was a significant factor for the Nordic nation who fulfilled their pre-match promise to show no nerves. They went close in the third minute when keeper Rui Patricio denied Gylfi Sigurdsson with a double stop, smothering the rebound after parrying the midfielder's first effort. Portugal eventually got into their stride but the final pass kept going astray in the opening 20 minutes, with Iceland's back four able to close down Ronaldo and Nani. PERFECT CROSS The pattern changed after Nani drew a superb reflex save from Halldorsson who kept out his close-range header after Ronaldo delivered a perfect cross from the left. Iceland saw little of the ball from there on as Ronaldo sent a looping header over the bar and then scuffed his shot straight at Halldorsson after a defence-splitting pass by Pepe. Portugal, who had 67 percent possession in the first half, made their dominance count after a sweeping one-two between Vieirinha and Andre Gomes on the right handed Nani a simple task to steer the ball home from seven metres. Roared on by their fans, Iceland equalised out of the blue in the 50th minute as Bjarnason swept in a teasing Johann Gudmundsson centre that caught out Vieirinha. It seemed to take the wind out of Portugal's sails, with Ronaldo looking short of pace, although Nani came close to restoring their lead after a glancing header sailed just wide. Halldorsson then stopped dangerous shots by Gomes and Raphael Guerreiro as well as a deflected Ricardo Quaresma effort before substitute Alfred Finnbogason almost grabbed what would have been a remarkable winner at the other end. Rui Patricio was barely able to palm away the striker's stinging drive from the edge of the penalty area as Portugal ended up running out of ideas. Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, who shares the job with Swede Lars Lagerback, said the draw boosted his team's hopes of reaching the last 16. "With a win against Hungary we'd probably be almost there and holding the group's strongest team to a draw should be a massive confidence boost," he explained. "Our defending was fantastic, we were well organised and worked really hard. It's difficult to single out any individual player as they all deserve credit for a stirring team effort. "It's really good to have a point. We can go a little bit more relaxed into the next game," said Hallgrimsson. (Reuters)

Debutants Iceland hold Portugal to shock 1-1 draw

A small group of Russian and English fans briefly scuffled in Lille in the early hours of Wednesday (June 15) morning, after bars and pubs closed in the northern French city where thousands of supporters continue to arrive for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. 
 
Lille is seen as the next potential Euro 2016 trouble spot as Russia play Slovakia there on Wednesday. England fans are also congregating there ahead of their match against Wales in nearby Lens on Thursday (June 16). 
 
Both teams have been threatened with expulsion from the competition if the violence seen in Marseille last week is repeated. 
 
The brief skirmish between the Russian and English fans was broken up by police. 
 
Authorities in Lille and Lens have ordered alcohol bans running from Tuesday (June 14) to Friday (June 17), officials said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

They scuffle in Lille despite UEFA warning that they will be disqualified if they do so

A small group of Russian and English fans briefly scuffled in Lille in the early hours of Wednesday (June 15) morning, after bars and pubs closed in the northern French city where thousands of supporters continue to arrive for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. Lille is seen as the next potential Euro 2016 trouble spot as Russia play Slovakia there on Wednesday. England fans are also congregating there ahead of their match against Wales in nearby Lens on Thursday (June 16). Both teams have been threatened with expulsion from the competition if the violence seen in Marseille last week is repeated. The brief skirmish between the Russian and English fans was broken up by police. Authorities in Lille and Lens have ordered alcohol bans running from Tuesday (June 14) to Friday (June 17), officials said. (Reuters)

Never mind the warning, Russia and England fans go at it again

A Northern Ireland fan collapsed and died during their 2-0 win over Ukraine at Euro 2016 on Thursday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said. 
 
&quot;The man, in his sixties, collapsed in the upper part of the ground and was treated by paramedics but they were unable to revive him,&quot; a PSNI statement said. 
 
The man is the second Northern Ireland fan to die during the tournament after Darren Rodgers, from Ballymena, fell eight metres to his death on Monday after landing on his head on a stone beach having scaled a seafront railing in Nice. 
 
The Irish Football Association issued a statement saying it was &quot;deeply saddened&quot; by the news of the latest death. 
 
&quot;The fan passed away as he was watching the game in the stadium. This puts any result of a football match into perspective,&quot; said Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson. 
 
&quot;The thoughts of the board, management, players and staff are with his family and friends at this sad time.&quot; 
 
The stadium was filled with Northern Ireland fans who had travelled to France to watch their country&#39;s first major finals since the 1986 World Cup. 
 
The supporters had earlier applauded the 24-year-old Rodgers&#39; memory during the 24th minute of Thursday&#39;s match. 
 
Rodgers was the first supporter to die during the month-long tournament, which has been marred by off-pitch violence between fans since Friday&#39;s opening. 
 
Northern Ireland coach Michael O&#39;Neill had said Rodgers&#39; death put his side&#39;s 1-0 defeat by Poland in their opening game on Sunday into perspective. 
(Reuters)

This is the second death of a supporter from the country. The first died after he scaled a seafront railing and fell on his head

A Northern Ireland fan collapsed and died during their 2-0 win over Ukraine at Euro 2016 on Thursday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said. "The man, in his sixties, collapsed in the upper part of the ground and was treated by paramedics but they were unable to revive him," a PSNI statement said. The man is the second Northern Ireland fan to die during the tournament after Darren Rodgers, from Ballymena, fell eight metres to his death on Monday after landing on his head on a stone beach having scaled a seafront railing in Nice. The Irish Football Association issued a statement saying it was "deeply saddened" by the news of the latest death. "The fan passed away as he was watching the game in the stadium. This puts any result of a football match into perspective," said Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson. "The thoughts of the board, management, players and staff are with his family and friends at this sad time." The stadium was filled with Northern Ireland fans who had travelled to France to watch their country's first major finals since the 1986 World Cup. The supporters had earlier applauded the 24-year-old Rodgers' memory during the 24th minute of Thursday's match. Rodgers was the first supporter to die during the month-long tournament, which has been marred by off-pitch violence between fans since Friday's opening. Northern Ireland coach Michael O'Neill had said Rodgers' death put his side's 1-0 defeat by Poland in their opening game on Sunday into perspective. (Reuters)

Northern Ireland's win over Ukraine marred by fan's death

The thousands of Welsh supporters who have brought their nation&#39;s famed singing, not to mention plenty of plastic dragons, to a major tournament after a wait of more that half-a-century are steeling themselves to hit the heights -- or rock bottom -- on Monday. 
 
Currently in second place in Euro 2016 group B with three points, Wales could finish either top or bottom of their section, depending on their own result against Russia here and England&#39;s against Slovakia. 
 
If they beat the Russians, who have only one point, and neighbours England fail to win, Chris Coleman&#39;s side would be proud group winners, qualifying for a round of 16 match in the Parc des Princes next Saturday against a third-placed team. 
 
At the other extreme, defeat, and at least a point for Slovakia, would leave them fourth. 
 
A modicum of pride would undoubtedly remain, but such an outcome would be a real anti-climax after the excitement of beating the Slovaks 2-1 in the opening game and then holding England until the final minute in a 2-1 defeat. 
 
Russia&#39;s 2-1 defeat by Slovakia undid all the good work of their resilience in snatching a late equaliser against England and leaves them vulnerable to an early return home and charges of under-achievement. 
 
In historic and geo-political terms there should be no contest between a nation of 144 million people and one with a population of three million -- larger than only Albania, Northern Ireland and Iceland of the 24 countries here. 
 
Russia have never lost to Wales in their four meetings, but the margins have been tight, like so many matches at this low-scoring tournament. 
 
Coach Leonid Slutski knows his team must avoid conceding free kicks within shooting range for Gareth Bale, a mistake that both Slovakia and England were punished for making. 
 
The Real Madrid player scored with direct long range efforts, bringing back memories of Michel Platini&#39;s ability with a dead ball when France last hosted the European Championship in 1984. 
 
Coleman knows he can count on his one superstar. He will be more concerned about a defence that conceded only four goals in the qualifying campaign but has been beaten almost as many times in two games here. 
 
Changing from his system of three at the back is a possibility, but perhaps too radical a departure at this late and crucial stage. 
 
(Reuters)

Wales is in second place in Group B with three points, and their fate depends on their result against Russia and England against Slovakia

The thousands of Welsh supporters who have brought their nation's famed singing, not to mention plenty of plastic dragons, to a major tournament after a wait of more that half-a-century are steeling themselves to hit the heights -- or rock bottom -- on Monday. Currently in second place in Euro 2016 group B with three points, Wales could finish either top or bottom of their section, depending on their own result against Russia here and England's against Slovakia. If they beat the Russians, who have only one point, and neighbours England fail to win, Chris Coleman's side would be proud group winners, qualifying for a round of 16 match in the Parc des Princes next Saturday against a third-placed team. At the other extreme, defeat, and at least a point for Slovakia, would leave them fourth. A modicum of pride would undoubtedly remain, but such an outcome would be a real anti-climax after the excitement of beating the Slovaks 2-1 in the opening game and then holding England until the final minute in a 2-1 defeat. Russia's 2-1 defeat by Slovakia undid all the good work of their resilience in snatching a late equaliser against England and leaves them vulnerable to an early return home and charges of under-achievement. In historic and geo-political terms there should be no contest between a nation of 144 million people and one with a population of three million -- larger than only Albania, Northern Ireland and Iceland of the 24 countries here. Russia have never lost to Wales in their four meetings, but the margins have been tight, like so many matches at this low-scoring tournament. Coach Leonid Slutski knows his team must avoid conceding free kicks within shooting range for Gareth Bale, a mistake that both Slovakia and England were punished for making. The Real Madrid player scored with direct long range efforts, bringing back memories of Michel Platini's ability with a dead ball when France last hosted the European Championship in 1984. Coleman knows he can count on his one superstar. He will be more concerned about a defence that conceded only four goals in the qualifying campaign but has been beaten almost as many times in two games here. Changing from his system of three at the back is a possibility, but perhaps too radical a departure at this late and crucial stage. (Reuters)

Wales could hit heights or depths in final countdown

Germany thumped Slovakia 3-0 with goals from Jerome Boateng, Mario Gomez and Julian Draxler to cruise into the Euro 2016 quarter-finals on Sunday and confirmed their status as tournament favourites with a sparkling performance. 
 
Central defender Boateng, who had been passed fit after an injury, connected perfectly with a clearance in the eighth minute to volley home from 25 metres for his first international goal as the world champions took control from the start. 
 
The Germans, who next face either holders Spain or Italy, saw Mesut Ozil&#39;s weak 13th minute penalty saved but Gomez made no mistake two minutes from halftime when he tapped home a perfect cut back from the marauding Julian Draxler. 
 
Draxler, coming into the starting lineup for the lacklustre Mario Goetze, was then left with far too much space at the far post to volley in their third just past the hour as the Germans kept a fourth straight clean sheet at the finals. 
 
Comfortable with either foot, the winger utilised his speed and intelligence to good effect, helping his side pin the Slovaks in their own half for much of the opening period. 
 
Deflected volley 
 
Boateng opened the scoring with a deflected volley following a corner and ran to celebrate with team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt, who helped him recover from a muscle injury sustained in their last group game with Northern Ireland. 
 
Ozil&#39;s weak penalty, well saved by Matus Kozacik, was one of the few blemishes in an otherwise superb Germany performance. 
 
Slovakia may have got the better of the Germans in a pre-Euro 2016 friendly but, apart from a few forays forward, they were all at sea. 
 
Five minutes before halftime Juraj Kucka forced a flying save from Germany captain Manuel Neuer as he sent Peter Pekarik&#39;s cross toward the top corner. 
 
Germany hit back immediately, Draxler turning Kucka inside out before squaring for Gomez to stab the ball home from close range to make it 2-0. 
 
Slovakia were marginally better in the second half but when the excellent Draxler hooked a volley into the top corner in the 63rd minute there was no way back. 
 
Draxler and Boateng were replaced by Lukas Podolski and Benedikt Hoewedes nine minutes later as the game took on the air of a friendly with Germany&#39;s place in the last eight against Spain or Italy already booked. 
 
(Reuters)

Slovakia were slightly better in the 2nd half, but when Draxler hooked a volley into top corner in the 63rd minute, there was no way back

Germany thumped Slovakia 3-0 with goals from Jerome Boateng, Mario Gomez and Julian Draxler to cruise into the Euro 2016 quarter-finals on Sunday and confirmed their status as tournament favourites with a sparkling performance. Central defender Boateng, who had been passed fit after an injury, connected perfectly with a clearance in the eighth minute to volley home from 25 metres for his first international goal as the world champions took control from the start. The Germans, who next face either holders Spain or Italy, saw Mesut Ozil's weak 13th minute penalty saved but Gomez made no mistake two minutes from halftime when he tapped home a perfect cut back from the marauding Julian Draxler. Draxler, coming into the starting lineup for the lacklustre Mario Goetze, was then left with far too much space at the far post to volley in their third just past the hour as the Germans kept a fourth straight clean sheet at the finals. Comfortable with either foot, the winger utilised his speed and intelligence to good effect, helping his side pin the Slovaks in their own half for much of the opening period. Deflected volley Boateng opened the scoring with a deflected volley following a corner and ran to celebrate with team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt, who helped him recover from a muscle injury sustained in their last group game with Northern Ireland. Ozil's weak penalty, well saved by Matus Kozacik, was one of the few blemishes in an otherwise superb Germany performance. Slovakia may have got the better of the Germans in a pre-Euro 2016 friendly but, apart from a few forays forward, they were all at sea. Five minutes before halftime Juraj Kucka forced a flying save from Germany captain Manuel Neuer as he sent Peter Pekarik's cross toward the top corner. Germany hit back immediately, Draxler turning Kucka inside out before squaring for Gomez to stab the ball home from close range to make it 2-0. Slovakia were marginally better in the second half but when the excellent Draxler hooked a volley into the top corner in the 63rd minute there was no way back. Draxler and Boateng were replaced by Lukas Podolski and Benedikt Hoewedes nine minutes later as the game took on the air of a friendly with Germany's place in the last eight against Spain or Italy already booked. (Reuters)

Euro 2016: Germany cruise into last eight with sparkling 3-0 Slovakia win

Spain huffed and puffed, making hard work of their Euro 2016 opener before a late Gerard Pique goal blew away the Czech Republic resistance. Yet the win could not conceal the fact that Vicente del Bosque&#39;s champions may be lacking a killer instinct. 
 
Until defender Pique&#39;s crucial late header, the holders were again largely ineffective in front of goal, just as they had been in their 1-0 loss to Georgia in their final warm-up game last week. 
 
Spain had three-quarters of the possession up until the interval and played most of the game in the Czech half, but still did not have the wit or invention to break down their more limited opponents. 
 
By the end, the champions had hit the target just five times in their 17 attempts, with Pique&#39;s 87th-minute header from a superb Andres Iniesta cross eventually sparing them blushes. 
 
It left Spain&#39;s coach Vicente del Bosque with an increasingly familiar headache. &quot;It&#39;s true that we dominate but we still struggle in front of goal,&quot; he sighed afterwards. 
 
The most important thing for the coach was that this was at least an improvement on Spain&#39;s last three opening games at major tournaments: a defeat in the 2014 World Cup by the Netherlands, a draw with Italy in Euro 2012 and a loss in the 2010 World Cup to Switzerland. 
 
They started with a sense of urgency and were most effective when they had David Silva and Jordi Alba stretching the Czech team on the flanks. That enabled them to create the first real opening of the game, with Silva&#39;s cross from the right finding Alvaro Morata in the box but his first-touch shot was kept out by the ever-excellent Petr Cech. 
 
Problems started for Spain when Silva and Alba started drifting inside, flooding the central area of the pitch and making the champions too predictable. 
 
Still, they should have gone into the break ahead but were denied by some terrific work from Cech, who managed to stop Morata twice. 
 
&quot;We would have seen a different game had one of our chances in the opening half gone in,&quot; reckoned Spain captain Sergio Ramos. 
 
Morata was replaced by Aritz Aduriz in the 62nd minute but he could do little with Spain continuing to produce long spells of possession without any incisive intent or penetration. 
 
Eventually, though, one moment of sheer star quality shone through. Andres Iniesta, still a twinkle-toed Fred Astaire of the modern game at 32, unfurled one curling, inch-perfect cross that simply demanded a thumping Pique finish. 
 
&quot;This is who we are,&quot; the Barcelona maestro Iniesta declared afterwards. &quot;We have achieved so much success because of our style of play. We have played games like this one and it&#39;s just a case of trying and trying, until the ball goes in.&quot; 
 
The problem is that the wait for those goals is incerasingly becoming a test of the Spain supporters&#39; nerves and patience.&nbsp;

Gerard Pique ensured a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic

Spain huffed and puffed, making hard work of their Euro 2016 opener before a late Gerard Pique goal blew away the Czech Republic resistance. Yet the win could not conceal the fact that Vicente del Bosque's champions may be lacking a killer instinct. Until defender Pique's crucial late header, the holders were again largely ineffective in front of goal, just as they had been in their 1-0 loss to Georgia in their final warm-up game last week. Spain had three-quarters of the possession up until the interval and played most of the game in the Czech half, but still did not have the wit or invention to break down their more limited opponents. By the end, the champions had hit the target just five times in their 17 attempts, with Pique's 87th-minute header from a superb Andres Iniesta cross eventually sparing them blushes. It left Spain's coach Vicente del Bosque with an increasingly familiar headache. "It's true that we dominate but we still struggle in front of goal," he sighed afterwards. The most important thing for the coach was that this was at least an improvement on Spain's last three opening games at major tournaments: a defeat in the 2014 World Cup by the Netherlands, a draw with Italy in Euro 2012 and a loss in the 2010 World Cup to Switzerland. They started with a sense of urgency and were most effective when they had David Silva and Jordi Alba stretching the Czech team on the flanks. That enabled them to create the first real opening of the game, with Silva's cross from the right finding Alvaro Morata in the box but his first-touch shot was kept out by the ever-excellent Petr Cech. Problems started for Spain when Silva and Alba started drifting inside, flooding the central area of the pitch and making the champions too predictable. Still, they should have gone into the break ahead but were denied by some terrific work from Cech, who managed to stop Morata twice. "We would have seen a different game had one of our chances in the opening half gone in," reckoned Spain captain Sergio Ramos. Morata was replaced by Aritz Aduriz in the 62nd minute but he could do little with Spain continuing to produce long spells of possession without any incisive intent or penetration. Eventually, though, one moment of sheer star quality shone through. Andres Iniesta, still a twinkle-toed Fred Astaire of the modern game at 32, unfurled one curling, inch-perfect cross that simply demanded a thumping Pique finish. "This is who we are," the Barcelona maestro Iniesta declared afterwards. "We have achieved so much success because of our style of play. We have played games like this one and it's just a case of trying and trying, until the ball goes in." The problem is that the wait for those goals is incerasingly becoming a test of the Spain supporters' nerves and patience.

Defending champs Spain seal last-gasp win

England manager Roy Hodgson has said he is prepared to remain in the job after Euro 2016 but will not be &#39;begging&#39; for a new deal. 
 
Hodgson&#39;s contract expires after the tournament in France and Football Association (FA) chairman Greg Dyke indicated last week that the 68-year-old may have to lead the team to the semi-finals to guarantee staying on. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not begging for the job. I am prepared to carry on,&quot; Hodgson told British media ahead of Monday&#39;s last-16 match against Iceland in Nice. &quot;It is different to wanting it. I&#39;m prepared to carry on if the FA want me to. If they don&#39;t want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how it will be. I believe in the team I am working with and believe the team is showing such potential that it will go on to do good things and if the FA want me to continue with me looking after them, I will be happy to do so.&quot; 
 
England reached the last 16 after finishing second to Wales, who have already reached the quarter-finals, in Group B. 
 
They beat Wales 2-1 but draws against Russia and Slovakia left them in what turned out to be a much tougher half of the draw. They have scored three goals from their three games to date. 
 
If they beat Iceland, their next opponents will be either hosts France or Ireland. 
 
World champions Germany are also in that half of the draw, along with holders Spain and Italy. 
 
Hodgson&#39;s decision to make six changes for the final group game against Slovakia, which ended goalless, drew some criticism although FA chief executive Martin Glenn denied that he and Dyke had any problems with Hodgson&#39;s decisions. 
 
&quot;He has our full support, he has been a great manager and I think we are going to do great things in this tournament,&quot; said Glenn. 
 
Asked about the criticism of his tactics, Hodgson indicated that it came from the media rather than from within the England hierarchy. 
 
&quot;The FA will make the decision on what they want to do,&quot; he said. &quot;One hopes they will do it on their thinking and their observations and judgement and analysis on what is happening with the national team and not because some journalist has written something contrary to that.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

England reached the last 16 after finishing second to Wales, who have already reached the quarter-finals, in Group B

England manager Roy Hodgson has said he is prepared to remain in the job after Euro 2016 but will not be 'begging' for a new deal. Hodgson's contract expires after the tournament in France and Football Association (FA) chairman Greg Dyke indicated last week that the 68-year-old may have to lead the team to the semi-finals to guarantee staying on. "I'm not begging for the job. I am prepared to carry on," Hodgson told British media ahead of Monday's last-16 match against Iceland in Nice. "It is different to wanting it. I'm prepared to carry on if the FA want me to. If they don't want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how it will be. I believe in the team I am working with and believe the team is showing such potential that it will go on to do good things and if the FA want me to continue with me looking after them, I will be happy to do so." England reached the last 16 after finishing second to Wales, who have already reached the quarter-finals, in Group B. They beat Wales 2-1 but draws against Russia and Slovakia left them in what turned out to be a much tougher half of the draw. They have scored three goals from their three games to date. If they beat Iceland, their next opponents will be either hosts France or Ireland. World champions Germany are also in that half of the draw, along with holders Spain and Italy. Hodgson's decision to make six changes for the final group game against Slovakia, which ended goalless, drew some criticism although FA chief executive Martin Glenn denied that he and Dyke had any problems with Hodgson's decisions. "He has our full support, he has been a great manager and I think we are going to do great things in this tournament," said Glenn. Asked about the criticism of his tactics, Hodgson indicated that it came from the media rather than from within the England hierarchy. "The FA will make the decision on what they want to do," he said. "One hopes they will do it on their thinking and their observations and judgement and analysis on what is happening with the national team and not because some journalist has written something contrary to that." (Reuters)

Euro 2016: Hodgson happy to continue, but will not 'beg' to stay

Hosts France enjoyed an uplifting start to Euro 2016 as Dimitri Payet&#39;s superb last-gasp strike bailed out Les Bleus in a 2-1 victory over a stubborn Romania side at the Stade de France on a peaceful night in the capital on Friday. 
 
Starting the month-long tournament amid strikes to protest against a labour law and terror fears seven months after Islamic attacks on Paris killed 130, the national team lightened the mood thanks to Payet&#39;s 20-metre drive into the top corner. 
 
Didier Deschamps&#39; team seemed to be heading for a gloomy draw but a moment of magic from talismanic West Ham United player Payet left the home fans celebrating a memorable win on a serene Paris evening to get the finals off to a fine start. 
 
There were no incidents reported in and around the stadium, where there was a heavy security presence, or at the fan zone, where some 90,000 people were expected to watch the Group A game on giant screens near the Eiffel tower. 
 
French president Francois Hollande, who last November was rushed away from the stadium with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after suicide bombers detonated devices near the arena, was seen shaking hands with fans on his way out on Friday. 
 
Security was tight at the Stade de France and fans had been urged to arrive early to have time to go through a double security perimeter with two successive security checks under the watchful eyes of armed police with bulletproof vests. 
 
There were only cheers inside the stadium, however, as Payet wrapped up the three points following Olivier Giroud&#39;s headed opening goal for the hosts just before the hour that was cancelled out by Bogdan Stancu&#39;s penalty eight minutes later. 
 
A kitsch opening ceremony, featuring about 100 can-can dancers, a techno cover of Edith Piaf&#39;s &#39;La Vie En Rose&#39; and aerobatics by the Patrouille de France jets, launched the event. 
 
France had not played a competitive game in two years and Romania, who had only conceded twice in the qualifying campaign, were a stern reminder that Les Bleus need to be on their toes if they are to win a first title since their Euro 2000 triumph. 
 
&quot;Had we won by two or three goals that might have misled us slightly whereas the fact we won late in the day, that shows there are going to be no easy matches,&quot; man-of-the-match Payet told reporters. 
 
France, who top the group ahead of Saturday&#39;s clash between Albania and Switzerland, got off to a nervous start, looking a pale shadow of the team who breezed past their recent opponents. 
 
Captain Hugo Lloris had to make a point-blank save early on and France failed to manage a shot on target in the first half. 
 
After 57 minutes Giroud silenced his critics when he headed home from Payet&#39;s cross after Romania keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu completely missed the ball as he jumped with the France striker. 
 
Eight minutes later, however, Stancu coolly converted a penalty after Patrice Evra&#39;s clumsy foul on Nicolae Stanciu. 
 
However, the impressive Payet, who had been behind almost every France opportunity, was on hand to save the day. 
 
Collecting the ball from N&#39;Golo Kante, Payet cut inside and struck a vicious drive into the top corner, sending the crowd into raptures. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s quite easy in football when you can bang it into the top corner. It solves quite a lot of problems,&quot; said Deschamps. 
 
&quot;The opening match of a competition is bit like playing in a cup final so we were maybe just a little bit timid in the opening 25 minutes... we put four attacking players on the pitch to try to grind out the victory.&quot; 
 
France next take on Albania in Marseille on Wednesday after Romania play Switzerland in Paris. 
 
On Saturday England take on Russia in Group B amid fears of trouble between their fans in Marseille, where there was a stand-off between supporters on Friday, 18 years after England followers caused chaos in the Port city at the World Cup.

The hosts downed a stubborn Romanian side 2-1

Hosts France enjoyed an uplifting start to Euro 2016 as Dimitri Payet's superb last-gasp strike bailed out Les Bleus in a 2-1 victory over a stubborn Romania side at the Stade de France on a peaceful night in the capital on Friday. Starting the month-long tournament amid strikes to protest against a labour law and terror fears seven months after Islamic attacks on Paris killed 130, the national team lightened the mood thanks to Payet's 20-metre drive into the top corner. Didier Deschamps' team seemed to be heading for a gloomy draw but a moment of magic from talismanic West Ham United player Payet left the home fans celebrating a memorable win on a serene Paris evening to get the finals off to a fine start. There were no incidents reported in and around the stadium, where there was a heavy security presence, or at the fan zone, where some 90,000 people were expected to watch the Group A game on giant screens near the Eiffel tower. French president Francois Hollande, who last November was rushed away from the stadium with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after suicide bombers detonated devices near the arena, was seen shaking hands with fans on his way out on Friday. Security was tight at the Stade de France and fans had been urged to arrive early to have time to go through a double security perimeter with two successive security checks under the watchful eyes of armed police with bulletproof vests. There were only cheers inside the stadium, however, as Payet wrapped up the three points following Olivier Giroud's headed opening goal for the hosts just before the hour that was cancelled out by Bogdan Stancu's penalty eight minutes later. A kitsch opening ceremony, featuring about 100 can-can dancers, a techno cover of Edith Piaf's 'La Vie En Rose' and aerobatics by the Patrouille de France jets, launched the event. France had not played a competitive game in two years and Romania, who had only conceded twice in the qualifying campaign, were a stern reminder that Les Bleus need to be on their toes if they are to win a first title since their Euro 2000 triumph. "Had we won by two or three goals that might have misled us slightly whereas the fact we won late in the day, that shows there are going to be no easy matches," man-of-the-match Payet told reporters. France, who top the group ahead of Saturday's clash between Albania and Switzerland, got off to a nervous start, looking a pale shadow of the team who breezed past their recent opponents. Captain Hugo Lloris had to make a point-blank save early on and France failed to manage a shot on target in the first half. After 57 minutes Giroud silenced his critics when he headed home from Payet's cross after Romania keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu completely missed the ball as he jumped with the France striker. Eight minutes later, however, Stancu coolly converted a penalty after Patrice Evra's clumsy foul on Nicolae Stanciu. However, the impressive Payet, who had been behind almost every France opportunity, was on hand to save the day. Collecting the ball from N'Golo Kante, Payet cut inside and struck a vicious drive into the top corner, sending the crowd into raptures. "It's quite easy in football when you can bang it into the top corner. It solves quite a lot of problems," said Deschamps. "The opening match of a competition is bit like playing in a cup final so we were maybe just a little bit timid in the opening 25 minutes... we put four attacking players on the pitch to try to grind out the victory." France next take on Albania in Marseille on Wednesday after Romania play Switzerland in Paris. On Saturday England take on Russia in Group B amid fears of trouble between their fans in Marseille, where there was a stand-off between supporters on Friday, 18 years after England followers caused chaos in the Port city at the World Cup.

France start Euro 2016 party with win over Romania

We take a look back at some of the best quotes from the Euro 2016 group stage: 
 
&quot;Iceland didn&rsquo;t try nothing, they just defend, defend, defend, they had two chances and scored a goal, it was a lucky night for them. We&#39;re frustrated, they didn&#39;t try and play. It&#39;s why I think they will do nothing here. In my opinion, it&rsquo;s a small mentality.&quot; 
 
- Cristiano Ronaldo lashes out at Iceland&#39;s defensive approach after a 1-1 draw in their opening Group F match. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a fantastic footballer, but he&#39;s not a gracious human being and the thing is we almost nicked the win, so him saying we weren&#39;t going for the win contradicts that.&quot; 
 
- Iceland&#39;s Kari Arnason hits back at Ronaldo&#39;s claims. 
 
&quot;I hope Puma does not produce condoms.&quot; 
 
- Xherdan Shaqiri after four Switzerland players&#39; shirts ripped during the 0-0 draw with France. 
 
&quot;I believe 80 per cent of you (journalists) and me as well, sometimes scratch your nuts from time to time.&quot; 
 
- Lukas Podolski defends Joachim Loew after the Germany coach was caught scratching his genitals by television cameras. 
 
&quot;I think we&#39;ve got a lot more passion and pride about us than them. We&#39;ll definitely show that on the day. They big themselves up before they&#39;ve done anything, so we&#39;re going to go there and we believe we can beat them.&quot; 
 
- Gareth Bale on England. 
 
&quot;So that&#39;s football. Sometimes you&#39;re the dog, sometimes you&#39;re the tree. That&#39;s part of the business.&quot; 
 
- Germany&rsquo;s Mario Goetze on criticism of his performances at Euro 2016, two years after his goal won the 2014 World Cup final. 
 
&quot;I would guess we will change the national holiday. It&#39;s normally on June 17, but they will probably change it now.&quot; 
 
- Iceland&#39;s joint coach Heimir Hallgrimsson after their historic 2-1 win over Austria sent the country into the last 16. 
 
&quot;The legend can still deliver.&quot; 
 
- Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic before the tournament. His team crashed out with just a single point as he called time on his international career. 
 
&quot;This is not a street fighting championship, this is football.&quot; 
 
- Russia&#39;s Artem Dzyuba on the violence before his side&#39;s clash with England. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s fine. We locked him up about 25 minutes ago. He&#39;s caged in at this minute, as his beard gets longer, and uglier. But he&#39;s good. He&#39;s the werewolf of Manchester.&quot; 
 
- Republic of Ireland coach Martin O&#39;Neill on his assistant and Manchester United legend Roy Keane. 
 
(AFP) 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

'I hope Puma does not produce condoms,' said Xherdan Shaqiri

We take a look back at some of the best quotes from the Euro 2016 group stage: "Iceland didn’t try nothing, they just defend, defend, defend, they had two chances and scored a goal, it was a lucky night for them. We're frustrated, they didn't try and play. It's why I think they will do nothing here. In my opinion, it’s a small mentality." - Cristiano Ronaldo lashes out at Iceland's defensive approach after a 1-1 draw in their opening Group F match. "He's a fantastic footballer, but he's not a gracious human being and the thing is we almost nicked the win, so him saying we weren't going for the win contradicts that." - Iceland's Kari Arnason hits back at Ronaldo's claims. "I hope Puma does not produce condoms." - Xherdan Shaqiri after four Switzerland players' shirts ripped during the 0-0 draw with France. "I believe 80 per cent of you (journalists) and me as well, sometimes scratch your nuts from time to time." - Lukas Podolski defends Joachim Loew after the Germany coach was caught scratching his genitals by television cameras. "I think we've got a lot more passion and pride about us than them. We'll definitely show that on the day. They big themselves up before they've done anything, so we're going to go there and we believe we can beat them." - Gareth Bale on England. "So that's football. Sometimes you're the dog, sometimes you're the tree. That's part of the business." - Germany’s Mario Goetze on criticism of his performances at Euro 2016, two years after his goal won the 2014 World Cup final. "I would guess we will change the national holiday. It's normally on June 17, but they will probably change it now." - Iceland's joint coach Heimir Hallgrimsson after their historic 2-1 win over Austria sent the country into the last 16. "The legend can still deliver." - Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic before the tournament. His team crashed out with just a single point as he called time on his international career. "This is not a street fighting championship, this is football." - Russia's Artem Dzyuba on the violence before his side's clash with England. "He's fine. We locked him up about 25 minutes ago. He's caged in at this minute, as his beard gets longer, and uglier. But he's good. He's the werewolf of Manchester." - Republic of Ireland coach Martin O'Neill on his assistant and Manchester United legend Roy Keane. (AFP)

Quotable quotes: The best lines from Euro 2016

A 90th-minute header by substitute striker Antoine Griezmann and a stoppage-time special by Dimitri Payet secured France a heartstopping 2-0 win over Albania on Wednesday that sent the hosts through as the first team into the last 16 of Euro 2016. 
 
France had struggled to make any impression on a determined Albanian defence and as the clock ticked into the last minute neither team had managed a single shot on target, though both had hit a post. 
 
France had needed an 89th-minute Payet goal to beat Romania in their first game. Against Albania, it came even later when centre back Adil Rami swung in a hopeful cross that Griezmann guided home expertly. 
 
The 67,000 Stade Velodrome crowd, minus 20,000 stunned Albanians, erupted in jubilation, which was repeated five minutes later when Payet cut inside to smash in the second. 
 
With six points France are guaranteed to finish in the top two of Group A, with Switzerland, who are on four points after drawing with Romania earlier, favourites to join them in the knockout phase. 
 
Once the euphoria of the moment had elapsed, Payet was able to take a broad view. &quot;It would be good if we could avoid that type of crazy scenario,&quot; he said after picking up his second successive man of the match award. &quot;What we have to do is start matches the way we started the second half. With Paul (Pogba) and Griezou (Griezmann) coming on and a different system, it worked a lot better.&quot; 
 
It needed to. 
 
France were hesitant and risk-averse in a forgettable first half as the ploy of using the speed of Kingsley Coman and Anthony Martial out wide failed to pay dividends. 
 
Albania, desperate to make their mark in their first major tournament defended with gusto and almost went ahead early in the second half when French full back Bacary Sagna bundled the ball against his own post. 
 
With the halftime introduction of Pogba, and then Griezmann, France eventually got moving as Olivier Giroud sent a header wide then thumped another against the post. 
 
However, with Albania taking every opportunity to slow the game, half the team taking it in turns to go down with cramp, it was looking as if France were going to have to settle for a point. 
 
Griezmann, however, who had a fantastic season for Atletico Madrid, showed Giroud how to connect with a header. Payet seemed only too happy to cap off another enterprising display by adding the icing after a quickfire break. 
 
Relieved France coach Didier Deschamps accepted his original approach had not worked but was pleased that the tactical switches paid off. 
 
&quot;We didn&#39;t do enough in the first half but the second half was a lot better,&quot; he said. &quot;The players who came on made a difference. We are not stuck with one format we can switch things, we had a much better balance in the second half. The big teams here are having problems. There are no easy opponents, as you could see again tonight.&quot; 
 
That was certainly true of Albania, who grew in confidence as the night went on. 
 
&quot;We didn&#39;t just defend, we had clear-cut chances,&quot; said their coach Gianni De Biasi. &quot;But if you don&#39;t score, you don&#39;t win.&quot;

A last-gasp finish over Albania sealed the deal for the hosts

A 90th-minute header by substitute striker Antoine Griezmann and a stoppage-time special by Dimitri Payet secured France a heartstopping 2-0 win over Albania on Wednesday that sent the hosts through as the first team into the last 16 of Euro 2016. France had struggled to make any impression on a determined Albanian defence and as the clock ticked into the last minute neither team had managed a single shot on target, though both had hit a post. France had needed an 89th-minute Payet goal to beat Romania in their first game. Against Albania, it came even later when centre back Adil Rami swung in a hopeful cross that Griezmann guided home expertly. The 67,000 Stade Velodrome crowd, minus 20,000 stunned Albanians, erupted in jubilation, which was repeated five minutes later when Payet cut inside to smash in the second. With six points France are guaranteed to finish in the top two of Group A, with Switzerland, who are on four points after drawing with Romania earlier, favourites to join them in the knockout phase. Once the euphoria of the moment had elapsed, Payet was able to take a broad view. "It would be good if we could avoid that type of crazy scenario," he said after picking up his second successive man of the match award. "What we have to do is start matches the way we started the second half. With Paul (Pogba) and Griezou (Griezmann) coming on and a different system, it worked a lot better." It needed to. France were hesitant and risk-averse in a forgettable first half as the ploy of using the speed of Kingsley Coman and Anthony Martial out wide failed to pay dividends. Albania, desperate to make their mark in their first major tournament defended with gusto and almost went ahead early in the second half when French full back Bacary Sagna bundled the ball against his own post. With the halftime introduction of Pogba, and then Griezmann, France eventually got moving as Olivier Giroud sent a header wide then thumped another against the post. However, with Albania taking every opportunity to slow the game, half the team taking it in turns to go down with cramp, it was looking as if France were going to have to settle for a point. Griezmann, however, who had a fantastic season for Atletico Madrid, showed Giroud how to connect with a header. Payet seemed only too happy to cap off another enterprising display by adding the icing after a quickfire break. Relieved France coach Didier Deschamps accepted his original approach had not worked but was pleased that the tactical switches paid off. "We didn't do enough in the first half but the second half was a lot better," he said. "The players who came on made a difference. We are not stuck with one format we can switch things, we had a much better balance in the second half. The big teams here are having problems. There are no easy opponents, as you could see again tonight." That was certainly true of Albania, who grew in confidence as the night went on. "We didn't just defend, we had clear-cut chances," said their coach Gianni De Biasi. "But if you don't score, you don't win."

France first to seal last 16 spot at Euro 2016

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