<div style="text-align: justify;">Iceland defender Kari Arnason has responded angrily to Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s &quot;small mentality&quot; jibe after the 1-1 draw with Portugal at Euro 2016, saying that the Real Madrid star was no Lionel Messi. 
 
A visibly frustrated Ronaldo was furious at the defensive tactics of Iceland, the smallest country at the tournament, after Tuesday&#39;s Group F clash. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a fantastic footballer, but he&#39;s not a gracious human being,&quot; Arnason was quoted as saying on The Guardian&#39;s website (www.theguardian.com). 
 
&quot;Obviously we&rsquo;re not going to create as many chances as a fantastic team like Portugal but his comments are the reason why Messi is always going to be one step ahead of him. You wouldn&rsquo;t expect Messi to say that. It shows we got under his skin.&quot; 
 
The defender added: &quot;It was lovely to hear that.&quot; 
 
Iceland take on Hungary in their next Group F game on Saturday, before ending their group stage campaign against Austria on June 22. 
 
(Reuters)</div>

Cristiano Ronaldo added: "It was lovely to hear that"

Iceland defender Kari Arnason has responded angrily to Cristiano Ronaldo's "small mentality" jibe after the 1-1 draw with Portugal at Euro 2016, saying that the Real Madrid star was no Lionel Messi. A visibly frustrated Ronaldo was furious at the defensive tactics of Iceland, the smallest country at the tournament, after Tuesday's Group F clash. "He's a fantastic footballer, but he's not a gracious human being," Arnason was quoted as saying on The Guardian's website (www.theguardian.com). "Obviously we’re not going to create as many chances as a fantastic team like Portugal but his comments are the reason why Messi is always going to be one step ahead of him. You wouldn’t expect Messi to say that. It shows we got under his skin." The defender added: "It was lovely to hear that." Iceland take on Hungary in their next Group F game on Saturday, before ending their group stage campaign against Austria on June 22. (Reuters)

Ronaldo is no Messi, counters Iceland's Arnason

Italy are wary of the threat that Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic poses, but they can win Friday&#39;s Euro 2016 match in the same way they defeated Belgium, said midfielder Daniele De Rossi. 
 
The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team&#39;s 1-1 draw with Ireland. 
 
De Rossi compared the former Paris St Germain striker to Dutch great Marco van Basten. 
 
&quot;Maybe they have less talent than Belgium so they will probably wait in their half and try to play counterattack with long balls,&quot; De Rossi told reporters in France. 
 
&quot;Ibrahimovic is the best forward since the time of Van Basten, except for Ronaldo, but they are different players. 
 
&quot;We are a little bit scared of his power and his talent but we can beat them the same way that we can beat Belgium with organisation and by working hard on the training pitch.&quot; 
 
Italy, who began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Belgium to top Group E, face Ireland in their final group stage match. 
 
(Reuters)

The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team's 1-1 draw with Ireland

Italy are wary of the threat that Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic poses, but they can win Friday's Euro 2016 match in the same way they defeated Belgium, said midfielder Daniele De Rossi. The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team's 1-1 draw with Ireland. De Rossi compared the former Paris St Germain striker to Dutch great Marco van Basten. "Maybe they have less talent than Belgium so they will probably wait in their half and try to play counterattack with long balls," De Rossi told reporters in France. "Ibrahimovic is the best forward since the time of Van Basten, except for Ronaldo, but they are different players. "We are a little bit scared of his power and his talent but we can beat them the same way that we can beat Belgium with organisation and by working hard on the training pitch." Italy, who began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Belgium to top Group E, face Ireland in their final group stage match. (Reuters)

Italy can overcome Ibrahimovic threat to beat Sweden - De Rossi

Portugal&#39;s Cristiano Ronaldo, winning a record 128th cap, missed a penalty and had a late headed effort disallowed for offside as they were held 0-0 by Austria at Euro 2016 on Saturday (June 18) for their second straight draw. 
 
Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Martin Hinteregger in the 78th minute. 
 
However, Ronaldo sent his effort against the foot of the post for his fourth miss in his last five spot kicks. 
 
Ronaldo also sidefooted wide from a good position in the first half and forced two good saves from Robert Almer in quick succession after halftime. Nani also headed against the post just before the half hour. 
 
Hungary lead the group with four points, followed by Portugal and Iceland on two and Austria on one. Portugal meet Hungary in their last game. 
 
(Reuters)

Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, winning a record 128th cap, missed a penalty and had a late headed effort disallowed for offside as they were held 0-0 by Austria at Euro 2016 on Saturday (June 18) for their second straight draw. Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Martin Hinteregger in the 78th minute. However, Ronaldo sent his effort against the foot of the post for his fourth miss in his last five spot kicks. Ronaldo also sidefooted wide from a good position in the first half and forced two good saves from Robert Almer in quick succession after halftime. Nani also headed against the post just before the half hour. Hungary lead the group with four points, followed by Portugal and Iceland on two and Austria on one. Portugal meet Hungary in their last game. (Reuters)

Ronaldo misses penalty as Portugal held by Austria

Iceland snatched a stoppage-time winner to continue their fairytale story at Euro 2016 by making it through to the last 16 after a deserved 2-1 victory against Austria in their final Group F match on Wednesday. 
 
Iceland end their section second with five points. Austria go out with one point. 
 
In humid conditions at the Stade de France, the icelanders had the better chances in the early stages, taking the lead in the 18th minute when Jon Dadi Bodvarsson coolly steered the ball home after a flick-on in the box. 
 
Austria, who missed a penalty in the first half and laid siege to Iceland&#39;s goal in the second, gave themselves hope when Alessandro Schopf scored in the 60th minute, but Arnor Traustason secured the win in stoppage time. 
 
(Reuters)

The smallest country to qualify for a European Championship, Iceland, continues their fairy tale run

Iceland snatched a stoppage-time winner to continue their fairytale story at Euro 2016 by making it through to the last 16 after a deserved 2-1 victory against Austria in their final Group F match on Wednesday. Iceland end their section second with five points. Austria go out with one point. In humid conditions at the Stade de France, the icelanders had the better chances in the early stages, taking the lead in the 18th minute when Jon Dadi Bodvarsson coolly steered the ball home after a flick-on in the box. Austria, who missed a penalty in the first half and laid siege to Iceland's goal in the second, gave themselves hope when Alessandro Schopf scored in the 60th minute, but Arnor Traustason secured the win in stoppage time. (Reuters)

Iceland advance to last 16 after 2-1 win against Austria

Italy coach Antonio Conte said before Euro 2016 that his side would have to make up for their lack of talent with tactical cunning, and they did exactly that to sink Belgium 2-0 on Monday. 
 
In terms of pure footballing ability, Italy&#39;s current team is regarded as one of the country&#39;s weakest in years. Yet, they were still too streetwise for a Belgium team that once again failed to live up to expectations. 
 
The Azzurri&#39;s shortage of talent is such that 38-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is seen as their standout performer while Daniele De Rossi, once a purely destructive presence, has been recalled to dictate the passing in midfield. 
 
Riccardo Montolivo, Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio, who might have added some class, are injured while maverick forward Mario Balotelli&#39;s career has gone so far off the rails that his exclusion from the squad went almost unnoticed. 
 
Monday&#39;s opening Group E performance was typical of Conte who won three successive Serie A titles in as many years at Juventus. 
 
In the last few months he has talked about understanding the importance of &quot;wearing the shirt&quot;, to the exclusion of almost anything else, and the players seem to have got the message. 
 
Italy appeared to line up with a 3-5-2 formation but this quickly reverted to a back line of five when the opposition had the ball and changed to an attacking four when they went forward. 
 
It required extraordinary work from the players and Italy were wilting by the end. 
 
The defence, featuring Juventus trio Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, was outstanding but this was by no means the sort of negative or cynical performance that has marred Italy&#39;s reputation in the past. 
 
Conte&#39;s men looked to attack in numbers when they had the chance and, for all of Belgium&#39;s possession, Thibaut Courtois was the busier goalkeeper. 
 
There was some gamesmanship to start with, but it didn&#39;t last. Having cleverly avoided any yellow cards in the first hour, Italy picked up four in the last third of the match as they stopped counter-attacks at all cost. 
 
Two excellent goals from Emanuele Giaccherini and Graziano Pelle capped Italy&#39;s display. Giaccherini&#39;s goal was his first in internationals since the Confederations Cup three years ago. 
 
In the meantime he has gone from a fringe player at Juventus to struggling for a place at Sunderland and finally to unglamorous Bologna, an example of how workmenlike players have replaced Italian artists such as Andrea Pirlo.

Conte's Azzuri battled from start to finish in the win

Italy coach Antonio Conte said before Euro 2016 that his side would have to make up for their lack of talent with tactical cunning, and they did exactly that to sink Belgium 2-0 on Monday. In terms of pure footballing ability, Italy's current team is regarded as one of the country's weakest in years. Yet, they were still too streetwise for a Belgium team that once again failed to live up to expectations. The Azzurri's shortage of talent is such that 38-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is seen as their standout performer while Daniele De Rossi, once a purely destructive presence, has been recalled to dictate the passing in midfield. Riccardo Montolivo, Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio, who might have added some class, are injured while maverick forward Mario Balotelli's career has gone so far off the rails that his exclusion from the squad went almost unnoticed. Monday's opening Group E performance was typical of Conte who won three successive Serie A titles in as many years at Juventus. In the last few months he has talked about understanding the importance of "wearing the shirt", to the exclusion of almost anything else, and the players seem to have got the message. Italy appeared to line up with a 3-5-2 formation but this quickly reverted to a back line of five when the opposition had the ball and changed to an attacking four when they went forward. It required extraordinary work from the players and Italy were wilting by the end. The defence, featuring Juventus trio Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, was outstanding but this was by no means the sort of negative or cynical performance that has marred Italy's reputation in the past. Conte's men looked to attack in numbers when they had the chance and, for all of Belgium's possession, Thibaut Courtois was the busier goalkeeper. There was some gamesmanship to start with, but it didn't last. Having cleverly avoided any yellow cards in the first hour, Italy picked up four in the last third of the match as they stopped counter-attacks at all cost. Two excellent goals from Emanuele Giaccherini and Graziano Pelle capped Italy's display. Giaccherini's goal was his first in internationals since the Confederations Cup three years ago. In the meantime he has gone from a fringe player at Juventus to struggling for a place at Sunderland and finally to unglamorous Bologna, an example of how workmenlike players have replaced Italian artists such as Andrea Pirlo.

Scrappy Italy take Belgium down

Spain&#39;s right back Juanfran says his costly penalty shootout miss in Atletico Madrid&#39;s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has made him a better player at Euro 2016. 
 
Less than three weeks have passed since the veteran&#39;s spot kick hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. 
 
Juanfran started in Spain&#39;s 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday and is expected to be in the lineup again when the champions take on Turkey on Friday. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always overcome difficult times,&quot; the 31-year-old told Marca. &quot;I knew this would make me stronger, even from a personal standpoint. I&#39;m better than I was and after that final, I&#39;m ready for anything.&quot; 
 
&quot;I will never forget it but you learn to live with it. Each game represents a re-match and Monday&#39;s game was a new opportunity for me.&quot; 
 
Juanfran says he has received nothing but support since the setback to Real and even the sales of his Atletico jersey have increased. He is convinced the national team has the potential to win a third straight title. 
 
&quot;We are our biggest opponents and it all depends on the hunger we have,&quot; he said. &quot;If we want to reach the final and we are convinced of it and we give all that we have then, we will make it.&nbsp;We need work, show humility and the quality will do the rest.&quot; 
(Reuters)

The Spanish right back is convinced that the national team has potential to win a third straight title

Spain's right back Juanfran says his costly penalty shootout miss in Atletico Madrid's Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has made him a better player at Euro 2016. Less than three weeks have passed since the veteran's spot kick hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. Juanfran started in Spain's 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday and is expected to be in the lineup again when the champions take on Turkey on Friday. "I've always overcome difficult times," the 31-year-old told Marca. "I knew this would make me stronger, even from a personal standpoint. I'm better than I was and after that final, I'm ready for anything." "I will never forget it but you learn to live with it. Each game represents a re-match and Monday's game was a new opportunity for me." Juanfran says he has received nothing but support since the setback to Real and even the sales of his Atletico jersey have increased. He is convinced the national team has the potential to win a third straight title. "We are our biggest opponents and it all depends on the hunger we have," he said. "If we want to reach the final and we are convinced of it and we give all that we have then, we will make it. We need work, show humility and the quality will do the rest." (Reuters)

I am ready for anything, says Spain's Juanfran

Thousands of England and Wales fans gathered in the French town of Lens and Lille for their team&#39;s Euro 2016 soccer showdown today. 
 
Both sets of fans were in good spirits but police were braced to prevent more of the violence that has brought England and Russia the risk of expulsion from the tournament. 
 
French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans in the nearby northern city of Lille on Wednesday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt, 16 of them hospitalised. 
 
UEFA said today that it regretted the violence but it stopped short of action to punish the fans or teams. 
 
The governing body of European soccer said it was planning no Executive Committee meeting in the wake of the overnight violence on the streets of Lille. 
 
The decision effectively means England are not under any immediate threat of disqualification over their fans&#39; behaviour as any decision to expel England for crowd disturbances outside the stadium would need to be taken by the executive committee. 
 
Today&#39;s Group B match between England and Wales in the Euro 2016 group has been dubbed &quot;The Battle of Britain&quot;. 
 
Lens Prefect Fabienne Bucchio told reporters the town was quiet so far. Only nine people were detained by police overnight, she said, all in connection with minor incidents of drunkenness. Eight of them were French. 
 
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 a repeat of their fans&#39; violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. 
 
Throughout Wednesday (June 15), 36 people were arrested for various offences as Russia lost to Slovakia in Lille and England prepared to play Wales, police said. 
 
This morning, police checked fans&#39; boarding trains from Lille to Lens to ensure none were travelling with alcohol, leading to long queues. A heavy police team carried out similar checks in pouring rain on arrival 45 minutes later in Lens. 
(Reuters)

Today's match between England and Wales has been dubbed 'The Battle of Britain'

Thousands of England and Wales fans gathered in the French town of Lens and Lille for their team's Euro 2016 soccer showdown today. Both sets of fans were in good spirits but police were braced to prevent more of the violence that has brought England and Russia the risk of expulsion from the tournament. French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans in the nearby northern city of Lille on Wednesday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt, 16 of them hospitalised. UEFA said today that it regretted the violence but it stopped short of action to punish the fans or teams. The governing body of European soccer said it was planning no Executive Committee meeting in the wake of the overnight violence on the streets of Lille. The decision effectively means England are not under any immediate threat of disqualification over their fans' behaviour as any decision to expel England for crowd disturbances outside the stadium would need to be taken by the executive committee. Today's Group B match between England and Wales in the Euro 2016 group has been dubbed "The Battle of Britain". Lens Prefect Fabienne Bucchio told reporters the town was quiet so far. Only nine people were detained by police overnight, she said, all in connection with minor incidents of drunkenness. Eight of them were French. 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 a repeat of their fans' violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. Throughout Wednesday (June 15), 36 people were arrested for various offences as Russia lost to Slovakia in Lille and England prepared to play Wales, police said. This morning, police checked fans' boarding trains from Lille to Lens to ensure none were travelling with alcohol, leading to long queues. A heavy police team carried out similar checks in pouring rain on arrival 45 minutes later in Lens. (Reuters)

England and Wales fans gear up for Euro 2016 match

Belgium captain Eden Hazard produced an inspired performance, including a fine solo goal, to lead his side to a resounding 4-0 victory over Hungary at Euro 2016 on Sunday and set up a quarter-final clash with Wales. 
 
Hazard, who has finally burst into life at the tournament after a disappointing club season with Chelsea, set up one goal and scored another as Toby Alderweireld, Michy Batshuayi and Yannick Carrasco completed a comfortable victory. 
 
&quot;If he&#39;s feeling good, he&#39;s the best in the world,&quot; Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said of Hazard. &quot;The only thing we might have done better was kill the match off earlier.&quot; 
 
Belgium dominated the opening stages and took the lead after 10 minutes when Kevin De Bruyne swung an inviting cross into the box where centre back Alderweireld rose at the far post to power a header past keeper Gabor Kiraly. 
 
Substitute Batshuayi tapped home Hazard&#39;s low cross with 12 minutes remaining shortly after coming on before the Belgium skipper cut inside Hungary&#39;s box and rifled home a superb low strike for the third, with Carrasco grabbing a late fourth. 
 
&quot;It was an almost perfect match,&quot; said Hazard. &quot;We scored early and pressed very high up the field. It was what the fans want and what we call a real football match. 
 
&quot;As a team I feel we were really solid today. We made a lot of chances and didn&rsquo;t give them too many,&quot; he added. 
 
Hungary coach Bernd Storck praised Belgium&#39;s performance. &quot;We&#39;ve never played against such a good team,&quot; he said. 
 
 
Impressive De Bruyne 
The Hungarians, who lost key midfielder Lazlo Kleinheisler to injury in the warm-up, ceded the initiative early as Belgium found space and set the tone for a one-sided half. 
 
De Bruyne has improved significantly after being criticised by coach Marc Wilmots and was again at the heart of much that was good about Belgium&#39;s play. 
 
He lofted an early shot over the bar and teed up striker Romelu Lukaku to force a sharp save from veteran Kiraly, before testing the keeper himself from the edge of the box. 
 
Predictably, it was De Bruyne who forged the opening to cap off an excellent opening spell. 
 
After provoking a foul on the left, the 24-year-old curled in the resulting free kick and, while his delivery evaded Lukaku, Alderweireld arrived behind his team mate to head home. 
 
It was De Bruyne&#39;s 11th important contribution - goal or assist - in his last 12 internationals, and represented another decisive contribution for one of the Euro&#39;s leading lights. 
 
Hungary were largely reduced to pot shots from distance, with Gergo Lovrencsics and Balazs Dzsudzsak both hoping in vain for a repeat of the latter&#39;s belter against Portugal. 
 
De Bruyne fired a free kick against the bar in the 34th, while the overworked Kiraly denied Dries Mertens and Hazard from close range as Belgium threatened to extend their lead. 
 
 
Hazard shines 
Hungary improved after the break as Dzsudzsak got more of the ball and he fashioned an excellent chance for Adam Szalai, while Adam Pinter&#39;s deflected strike drew a fine save from Courtois and Roland Juhasz sent a low drive just wide. 
 
With Belgium failing to kill off the game, Wilmots turned to Batshuayi, so far unused at the finals, after 76 minutes. 
 
The switch paid off almost immediately as the highly regarded forward scored with his first touch, a simple finish following a sublime cross from Hazard in the 78th. 
 
Just as De Bruyne had imposed himself during the opening stages of the match, so Hazard shone at the finale. 
 
Ninety-four seconds later, the forward killed the game with a magnificent solo effort, cutting in from the left, evading two challenges and thumping the ball home from the edge of the area. 
 
Substitutes Marouane Fellaini and Carrasco combined at the death to add a breakaway fourth as Belgium secured a quarter-final date with Wales in Lille on Friday. 
 
(Reuters)

'It was an almost perfect match,' said captain Eden Hazard

Belgium captain Eden Hazard produced an inspired performance, including a fine solo goal, to lead his side to a resounding 4-0 victory over Hungary at Euro 2016 on Sunday and set up a quarter-final clash with Wales. Hazard, who has finally burst into life at the tournament after a disappointing club season with Chelsea, set up one goal and scored another as Toby Alderweireld, Michy Batshuayi and Yannick Carrasco completed a comfortable victory. "If he's feeling good, he's the best in the world," Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said of Hazard. "The only thing we might have done better was kill the match off earlier." Belgium dominated the opening stages and took the lead after 10 minutes when Kevin De Bruyne swung an inviting cross into the box where centre back Alderweireld rose at the far post to power a header past keeper Gabor Kiraly. Substitute Batshuayi tapped home Hazard's low cross with 12 minutes remaining shortly after coming on before the Belgium skipper cut inside Hungary's box and rifled home a superb low strike for the third, with Carrasco grabbing a late fourth. "It was an almost perfect match," said Hazard. "We scored early and pressed very high up the field. It was what the fans want and what we call a real football match. "As a team I feel we were really solid today. We made a lot of chances and didn’t give them too many," he added. Hungary coach Bernd Storck praised Belgium's performance. "We've never played against such a good team," he said. Impressive De Bruyne The Hungarians, who lost key midfielder Lazlo Kleinheisler to injury in the warm-up, ceded the initiative early as Belgium found space and set the tone for a one-sided half. De Bruyne has improved significantly after being criticised by coach Marc Wilmots and was again at the heart of much that was good about Belgium's play. He lofted an early shot over the bar and teed up striker Romelu Lukaku to force a sharp save from veteran Kiraly, before testing the keeper himself from the edge of the box. Predictably, it was De Bruyne who forged the opening to cap off an excellent opening spell. After provoking a foul on the left, the 24-year-old curled in the resulting free kick and, while his delivery evaded Lukaku, Alderweireld arrived behind his team mate to head home. It was De Bruyne's 11th important contribution - goal or assist - in his last 12 internationals, and represented another decisive contribution for one of the Euro's leading lights. Hungary were largely reduced to pot shots from distance, with Gergo Lovrencsics and Balazs Dzsudzsak both hoping in vain for a repeat of the latter's belter against Portugal. De Bruyne fired a free kick against the bar in the 34th, while the overworked Kiraly denied Dries Mertens and Hazard from close range as Belgium threatened to extend their lead. Hazard shines Hungary improved after the break as Dzsudzsak got more of the ball and he fashioned an excellent chance for Adam Szalai, while Adam Pinter's deflected strike drew a fine save from Courtois and Roland Juhasz sent a low drive just wide. With Belgium failing to kill off the game, Wilmots turned to Batshuayi, so far unused at the finals, after 76 minutes. The switch paid off almost immediately as the highly regarded forward scored with his first touch, a simple finish following a sublime cross from Hazard in the 78th. Just as De Bruyne had imposed himself during the opening stages of the match, so Hazard shone at the finale. Ninety-four seconds later, the forward killed the game with a magnificent solo effort, cutting in from the left, evading two challenges and thumping the ball home from the edge of the area. Substitutes Marouane Fellaini and Carrasco combined at the death to add a breakaway fourth as Belgium secured a quarter-final date with Wales in Lille on Friday. (Reuters)

Belgium prove Hazard-ous for Hungary, thump them 4-0

When the final whistle went in Paris, the disappointment of France&#39;s Euro 2016 loss to Portugal could be felt among their fans but after almost 10 years in the wilderness, coach Didier Deschamps has built a side ready to vie for the next World Cup. 
 
Having come into the tournament with few pundits expecting them to go beyond the semi-finals, let alone defeat Germany for the first time in a competitive game in 58 years, they managed to exceed expectations and lay solid foundations. 
 
There is a youthful togetherness, hunger and swagger about this French team that with a few tweaks will make them stronger as they aim for the World Cup title in Russia in two years&#39; time. 
 
The defeat to Portugal, while cruel in its manner, highlighted that France&#39;s young guns still need to mature after coming up against a more savvy opponent. Great teams are often built on such defeats. 
 
&quot;Our disappointment is immense and will take time to digest. We won together, we suffered together and we lost together,&quot; said Deschamps, laying emphasis on the family feel he has nurtured over the last two years. 
 
Twenty-year-old winger Kingsley Coman, France&#39;s youngest player, summed up the disappointment by storming off straight into the tunnel as the whistle went, but after a word from the staff was back to thank the fans. 
 
At 25, Antoine Griezmann proved with his six goals that he is just at the start of his journey as heir to the great French number 10s of Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini. 
 
Perhaps the burden on his shoulders after a 70th match of the season was just too much on the day. 
 
It was ironically France&#39;s main strength in the tournament, their attack, that let them down on the night. They lacked that cutting edge and freshness to get them over the line. 
 
But with Karim Benzema, their best striker absent at the tournament, Lyon&#39;s Alexandre Lacazette waiting in the wings and Anthony Martial still developing, the prospects are bright up front. 
 
Solid Spine 
 
The French midfield trio of Blaise Matuidi, Paul Pogba and Moussa Sissoko were on top for much of Sunday&#39;s match. N&#39;Golo Kante, who did not play in the final, has shown that he can add steel to the French midfield. 
 
Pogba still has to show that he can become the great player he aspires to be. His flashes of brilliance were too intermittent throughout the tournament. 
 
But at 23 he has his best years ahead of him and could be the man that drives this team forward. 
 
Prior to the tournament, France&#39;s Achilles heel was in defence. It has, on the whole, defied those critics. With no caps prior to Euro 2016, 22-year-old Samuel Umtiti has proved that he has a future at this level. 
 
The French team were already lacking their top central defensive partnership in Raphael Varane and Mamadou Sakho but are spoiled for choice at centre-back with Kurt Zouma and Aymeric Laporte among those knocking on the door. 
 
Arguably, Deschamps&#39; biggest headache will be replacing his full backs. 
 
While Patrice Evra has played a father figure role in the team, his performances have not justified his place. Layvin Kurzawa and Lucas Digne must now step up. On the right, Bacary Sagna will also step aside, although there is no natural replacement as yet. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m proud of what this group of 23 players achieved. We didn&#39;t get the reward, but we have an exceptional group and that let&#39;s us think that we will have better days,&quot; Deschamps said. 
 
(Reuters)

They might have lost to Portugal but coach Didier Deschamps has built a side ready to vie for the World Cup in two years

When the final whistle went in Paris, the disappointment of France's Euro 2016 loss to Portugal could be felt among their fans but after almost 10 years in the wilderness, coach Didier Deschamps has built a side ready to vie for the next World Cup. Having come into the tournament with few pundits expecting them to go beyond the semi-finals, let alone defeat Germany for the first time in a competitive game in 58 years, they managed to exceed expectations and lay solid foundations. There is a youthful togetherness, hunger and swagger about this French team that with a few tweaks will make them stronger as they aim for the World Cup title in Russia in two years' time. The defeat to Portugal, while cruel in its manner, highlighted that France's young guns still need to mature after coming up against a more savvy opponent. Great teams are often built on such defeats. "Our disappointment is immense and will take time to digest. We won together, we suffered together and we lost together," said Deschamps, laying emphasis on the family feel he has nurtured over the last two years. Twenty-year-old winger Kingsley Coman, France's youngest player, summed up the disappointment by storming off straight into the tunnel as the whistle went, but after a word from the staff was back to thank the fans. At 25, Antoine Griezmann proved with his six goals that he is just at the start of his journey as heir to the great French number 10s of Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini. Perhaps the burden on his shoulders after a 70th match of the season was just too much on the day. It was ironically France's main strength in the tournament, their attack, that let them down on the night. They lacked that cutting edge and freshness to get them over the line. But with Karim Benzema, their best striker absent at the tournament, Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette waiting in the wings and Anthony Martial still developing, the prospects are bright up front. Solid Spine The French midfield trio of Blaise Matuidi, Paul Pogba and Moussa Sissoko were on top for much of Sunday's match. N'Golo Kante, who did not play in the final, has shown that he can add steel to the French midfield. Pogba still has to show that he can become the great player he aspires to be. His flashes of brilliance were too intermittent throughout the tournament. But at 23 he has his best years ahead of him and could be the man that drives this team forward. Prior to the tournament, France's Achilles heel was in defence. It has, on the whole, defied those critics. With no caps prior to Euro 2016, 22-year-old Samuel Umtiti has proved that he has a future at this level. The French team were already lacking their top central defensive partnership in Raphael Varane and Mamadou Sakho but are spoiled for choice at centre-back with Kurt Zouma and Aymeric Laporte among those knocking on the door. Arguably, Deschamps' biggest headache will be replacing his full backs. While Patrice Evra has played a father figure role in the team, his performances have not justified his place. Layvin Kurzawa and Lucas Digne must now step up. On the right, Bacary Sagna will also step aside, although there is no natural replacement as yet. "I'm proud of what this group of 23 players achieved. We didn't get the reward, but we have an exceptional group and that let's us think that we will have better days," Deschamps said. (Reuters)

Better luck next time France

Football threw up another unlikely hero on Sunday when journeyman professional Eder scored the goal that won Euro 2016 for Portugal. 
 
Coach Fernando Santos said the &quot;ugly duckling has become beautiful&quot; after Eder, jeered by Portugal fans during a game in March, fired in a long-range goal 11 minutes from the end of extra-time to give Portugal an unexpected 1-0 win. 
 
Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated the Portuguese team for the last decade but, after the three-times world player of the year limped off injured, it was the 28-year-old Eder, born in Guinea-Bissau, who stole the headlines. 
 
Eder played 13 games for English Premier League Swansea City without scoring a goal last season before being loaned to French club Lille. 
 
&quot;I felt that Fernando Santos knows about my qualities ever since the day the squad was named,&quot; Eder told reporters. &quot;He put his confidence in me and today, I paid him back. I&#39;m very happy.&quot; 
 
His presence in the 23-man squad was in doubt until the very last minute and his goal on Sunday was only his fourth in 29 international appearances. 
 
Eder is one of five members of the Portuguese squad who were born outside Europe along with Danilo (Guinea Bissau), Pepe (Brazil), Nani (Cape Verde) and William Carvalho (Angola). 
 
Full name Ederzito Antonio Macedo Lopes, he has never played for any of the big three clubs in his homeland. 
 
After starting his career with third tier side Tourizense, he moved on to Academica Coimbra for four seasons before spending three seasons with slightly less unfashionable Braga. 
 
He made his international debut against Azerbaijan in 2014 but since then has only been a fringe player. 
 
Eder was brought on in the 79th minute of Sunday&#39;s game after Santos decided he needed a more physical presence in attack. 
 
&quot;I understood that Eder was the player who had to come on to hold up the ball in attack and create problems for France in the air,&quot; Santos said. 
 
&quot;When he went on, he said he would score the goal, and he did. He deserves congratulations. The ugly duckling turned into a beautiful one.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Portuguese coach Fernando Santos says of goalscorer Eder, whose presence in the 23-man squad was in doubt till the very last minute

Football threw up another unlikely hero on Sunday when journeyman professional Eder scored the goal that won Euro 2016 for Portugal. Coach Fernando Santos said the "ugly duckling has become beautiful" after Eder, jeered by Portugal fans during a game in March, fired in a long-range goal 11 minutes from the end of extra-time to give Portugal an unexpected 1-0 win. Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated the Portuguese team for the last decade but, after the three-times world player of the year limped off injured, it was the 28-year-old Eder, born in Guinea-Bissau, who stole the headlines. Eder played 13 games for English Premier League Swansea City without scoring a goal last season before being loaned to French club Lille. "I felt that Fernando Santos knows about my qualities ever since the day the squad was named," Eder told reporters. "He put his confidence in me and today, I paid him back. I'm very happy." His presence in the 23-man squad was in doubt until the very last minute and his goal on Sunday was only his fourth in 29 international appearances. Eder is one of five members of the Portuguese squad who were born outside Europe along with Danilo (Guinea Bissau), Pepe (Brazil), Nani (Cape Verde) and William Carvalho (Angola). Full name Ederzito Antonio Macedo Lopes, he has never played for any of the big three clubs in his homeland. After starting his career with third tier side Tourizense, he moved on to Academica Coimbra for four seasons before spending three seasons with slightly less unfashionable Braga. He made his international debut against Azerbaijan in 2014 but since then has only been a fringe player. Eder was brought on in the 79th minute of Sunday's game after Santos decided he needed a more physical presence in attack. "I understood that Eder was the player who had to come on to hold up the ball in attack and create problems for France in the air," Santos said. "When he went on, he said he would score the goal, and he did. He deserves congratulations. The ugly duckling turned into a beautiful one." (Reuters)

The 'ugly duckling has become beautiful'

Cristiano Ronaldo has vowed to come back stronger for the coming season after suffering a knee injury in Portugal&#39;s triumphant Euro 2016 final earlier this month. 
 
The Real Madrid forward, who is in this year&#39;s Best Player in Europe shortlist, was carried off the pitch on a stretcher after 25 minutes in the final against hosts France. 
 
&quot;I just wanted to thank all my fans,&quot; Ronaldo said in a video on his Instagram account. 
 
&quot;I wanted to tell them that all is well and that I will come back much stronger. Thank you, long live Portugal.&quot; 
 
The thirty-one-year-old, who racked up 51 goals in 48 games last season, scored the decisive penalty to seal Real&#39;s second Champions League final success over local rivals Atletico Madrid in three years. 
 
La Liga runners-up Real begin their 2016-17 campaign, in what will be manager Zinedine Zidane&#39;s first full season in charge, away to Real Sociedad on August 21. 
 
(Reuters)

The Portuguese forward was forced to leave the field due to an injury after 25 minutes in the 2016 Euro final

Cristiano Ronaldo has vowed to come back stronger for the coming season after suffering a knee injury in Portugal's triumphant Euro 2016 final earlier this month. The Real Madrid forward, who is in this year's Best Player in Europe shortlist, was carried off the pitch on a stretcher after 25 minutes in the final against hosts France. "I just wanted to thank all my fans," Ronaldo said in a video on his Instagram account. "I wanted to tell them that all is well and that I will come back much stronger. Thank you, long live Portugal." The thirty-one-year-old, who racked up 51 goals in 48 games last season, scored the decisive penalty to seal Real's second Champions League final success over local rivals Atletico Madrid in three years. La Liga runners-up Real begin their 2016-17 campaign, in what will be manager Zinedine Zidane's first full season in charge, away to Real Sociedad on August 21. (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo pledges to come back stronger after knee injury

A Ciaran Clark own goal earned Sweden a fortunate 1-1 draw against a spirited Ireland side in their Euro 2016 Group E opener at the Stade de France on Monday. 
 
Returning to the scene of Thierry Henry&#39;s infamous handball for France that crushed their 2010 World Cup qualifying dreams in an unforgettable playoff, Ireland were the better side for most of the game. 
 
They were rewarded for their domination three minutes into the second period when Wes Hoolahan scored with a splendid half-volley. 
 
However, they then lost their composure under Swedish pressure and centre back Clark headed a Zlatan Ibrahimovic cross into his own net in the 71st minute. 
 
&quot;The boys were unlucky but we&#39;ll take the point. We created a lot of chances&quot;, said Hoolahan. 
 
&quot;In the first half, we were excellent and at the start of the second as well. The boys should be proud of themselves, it&#39;s a great point in the end.&quot; 
 
Drawn in a tough group that also features Belgium and Italy, who meet in Lyon later on Monday, the two sides now face a battle to reach the last 16. 
 
After both were eliminated in the first round at the 2012 European Championship, Sweden and Ireland had a point to prove. 
 
The Irish had the first clear chance in the 10th minute when Jeff Hendrick&#39;s attempt from just outside the box was saved by Andreas Isaksson. 
 
John O&#39;Shea, in front of an open goal, then missed the ball by millimetres after Clark headed on a corner. 
 
Sweden were toothless in attack and misplaced several routine passes. 
 
Ireland came close again on the half-hour, Robbie Brady&#39;s missile from 18 metres shaving the bar. 
 
Three minutes later Hendrick&#39;s curled effort smashed against the woodwork as Ireland built some momentum but they could not make their domination count. 
 
They continued to push forward after the break and in the 48th minute half of the Stade de France roared with joy as Hoolahan produced a delightful shot from Seamus Coleman&#39;s centre. 
 
It spurred Sweden into action and Ireland defended stoutly until Ibrahimovic broke down the left, a rare foray by the striker, and his cross was nodded into the net by Clark. 
 
With 10 minutes left Irish coach Martin O&#39;Neill sent on Robbie Keane for Hoolahan as his men refused to settle for a draw. 
 
Ibrahimovic then went close in the 83rd minute, failing to connect with Martin Olsson&#39;s cross. 
 
Sweden, who remained unbeaten against Ireland in seven competitive matches, next face Italy on Friday.

Ireland scores within 3 minutes of second half, but lose composure under Swedish pressure

A Ciaran Clark own goal earned Sweden a fortunate 1-1 draw against a spirited Ireland side in their Euro 2016 Group E opener at the Stade de France on Monday. Returning to the scene of Thierry Henry's infamous handball for France that crushed their 2010 World Cup qualifying dreams in an unforgettable playoff, Ireland were the better side for most of the game. They were rewarded for their domination three minutes into the second period when Wes Hoolahan scored with a splendid half-volley. However, they then lost their composure under Swedish pressure and centre back Clark headed a Zlatan Ibrahimovic cross into his own net in the 71st minute. "The boys were unlucky but we'll take the point. We created a lot of chances", said Hoolahan. "In the first half, we were excellent and at the start of the second as well. The boys should be proud of themselves, it's a great point in the end." Drawn in a tough group that also features Belgium and Italy, who meet in Lyon later on Monday, the two sides now face a battle to reach the last 16. After both were eliminated in the first round at the 2012 European Championship, Sweden and Ireland had a point to prove. The Irish had the first clear chance in the 10th minute when Jeff Hendrick's attempt from just outside the box was saved by Andreas Isaksson. John O'Shea, in front of an open goal, then missed the ball by millimetres after Clark headed on a corner. Sweden were toothless in attack and misplaced several routine passes. Ireland came close again on the half-hour, Robbie Brady's missile from 18 metres shaving the bar. Three minutes later Hendrick's curled effort smashed against the woodwork as Ireland built some momentum but they could not make their domination count. They continued to push forward after the break and in the 48th minute half of the Stade de France roared with joy as Hoolahan produced a delightful shot from Seamus Coleman's centre. It spurred Sweden into action and Ireland defended stoutly until Ibrahimovic broke down the left, a rare foray by the striker, and his cross was nodded into the net by Clark. With 10 minutes left Irish coach Martin O'Neill sent on Robbie Keane for Hoolahan as his men refused to settle for a draw. Ibrahimovic then went close in the 83rd minute, failing to connect with Martin Olsson's cross. Sweden, who remained unbeaten against Ireland in seven competitive matches, next face Italy on Friday.

Clark own goal earns Sweden lucky 1-1 tie against Ireland

England&#39;s football journalists left their readers with no illusions on Tuesday after their side&#39;s Euro 2016 hopes were crushed by Iceland, describing the 2-1 loss as the worst in their history. 
 
Goals from Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson were enough to lead the tiny nation to a quarter-final clash with hosts France, with the loss costing England manager Roy Hodgson his job. 
 
British media held nothing back on Tuesday with the headlines proclaiming the loss as not only &quot;embarrassing&quot; but also &quot;the ultimate humiliation.&quot; 
 
Many referred to England&#39;s shock 1-0 loss to the United States in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil in their post-match reports, though they felt the result in Nice would now surpass that as their worst in international soccer. 
 
&quot;This was England&#39;s most humiliating night in international football: far worse than the 1950 World Cup defeat to the USA in Belo Horizonte,&quot; Paul Hayward wrote in The Telegraph. 
 
&quot;Defeat here in Nice was always going to be a deeper trauma. This one came in the era of the Premier League as global industry.&quot; 
 
The Guardian&#39;s Daniel Taylor also compared Monday&#39;s result to the 1950 loss in Belo Horizonte and suggested England&#39;s allusions to being one of the powerhouses of world football now needed to be questioned. 
 
&quot;Hodgson&#39;s reign will be defined by a result comparable to losing to the United States in the 1950 World Cup,&quot; Taylor wrote. &quot;The now-familiar inquest will begin again in a country that likes to see itself as football royalty.&quot; 
 
The Daily Mail&#39;s Martin Samuel described the loss as a &quot;seismic wave&quot; for English soccer and felt that Hodgson probably should have been sacked after the side&#39;s group phase exit at the 2014 World Cup. 
 
&quot;What a waste the last two years have been,&quot; Samuel wrote. &quot;Hodgson should have gone in 2014, when England lasted two matches at the World Cup. He wasn&#39;t the man then, he isn&#39;t the man now. 
 
&quot;There has been much talk of progress, promise and a strong culture of responsibility, but under pressure, that all evaporated.&quot; 
 
While Hodgson was blamed for having a seemingly incoherent plan for the tournament with no clear idea on his strongest side or how to play the game, the players and the culture of the English Premier League were also criticised. 
 
&quot;The reason why the nation struggles to feel empathy or connections with many of these players is the ego,&quot; Ian Herbert wrote in The Independent. &quot;Too famous, too important, too rich, too high and mighty... that is this England.&quot; 
 
The Guardian&#39;s Dominic Fifield also criticised the more experienced players in the squad, who had not shown any leadership or stepped up to help their younger team members. 
 
&quot;Hodgson had needed his most established players to excel if the team were going to make an impression,&quot; Fifield wrote. &quot;In the end they simply wilted like the rest.&quot; 
 
The BBC&#39;s chief football writer Phil McNulty also felt the players would need to take a look at themselves under a new manager. 
 
&quot;The ultimate responsibility lies with the manager but, make no mistake, he was badly let down by players capable of so much better,&quot; McNulty wrote. 
 
&quot;Hodgson will take the blame and has paid the price but these highly paid Premier League players should not escape criticism.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

British media pulled no punches, calling the loss 'embarrassing' and 'the ultimate humiliation'

England's football journalists left their readers with no illusions on Tuesday after their side's Euro 2016 hopes were crushed by Iceland, describing the 2-1 loss as the worst in their history. Goals from Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson were enough to lead the tiny nation to a quarter-final clash with hosts France, with the loss costing England manager Roy Hodgson his job. British media held nothing back on Tuesday with the headlines proclaiming the loss as not only "embarrassing" but also "the ultimate humiliation." Many referred to England's shock 1-0 loss to the United States in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil in their post-match reports, though they felt the result in Nice would now surpass that as their worst in international soccer. "This was England's most humiliating night in international football: far worse than the 1950 World Cup defeat to the USA in Belo Horizonte," Paul Hayward wrote in The Telegraph. "Defeat here in Nice was always going to be a deeper trauma. This one came in the era of the Premier League as global industry." The Guardian's Daniel Taylor also compared Monday's result to the 1950 loss in Belo Horizonte and suggested England's allusions to being one of the powerhouses of world football now needed to be questioned. "Hodgson's reign will be defined by a result comparable to losing to the United States in the 1950 World Cup," Taylor wrote. "The now-familiar inquest will begin again in a country that likes to see itself as football royalty." The Daily Mail's Martin Samuel described the loss as a "seismic wave" for English soccer and felt that Hodgson probably should have been sacked after the side's group phase exit at the 2014 World Cup. "What a waste the last two years have been," Samuel wrote. "Hodgson should have gone in 2014, when England lasted two matches at the World Cup. He wasn't the man then, he isn't the man now. "There has been much talk of progress, promise and a strong culture of responsibility, but under pressure, that all evaporated." While Hodgson was blamed for having a seemingly incoherent plan for the tournament with no clear idea on his strongest side or how to play the game, the players and the culture of the English Premier League were also criticised. "The reason why the nation struggles to feel empathy or connections with many of these players is the ego," Ian Herbert wrote in The Independent. "Too famous, too important, too rich, too high and mighty... that is this England." The Guardian's Dominic Fifield also criticised the more experienced players in the squad, who had not shown any leadership or stepped up to help their younger team members. "Hodgson had needed his most established players to excel if the team were going to make an impression," Fifield wrote. "In the end they simply wilted like the rest." The BBC's chief football writer Phil McNulty also felt the players would need to take a look at themselves under a new manager. "The ultimate responsibility lies with the manager but, make no mistake, he was badly let down by players capable of so much better," McNulty wrote. "Hodgson will take the blame and has paid the price but these highly paid Premier League players should not escape criticism." (Reuters)

England's worst loss ever

Football tensions mounted and patriotic hopes rose Sunday ahead of the Euro 2016 final between hosts France and Portugal that will unleash a clash between one of the world&#39;s greatest ever players Cristiano Ronaldo and would-be pretender Antoine Griezmann. 
 
After 50 matches over a month of football that has seen stunning shocks by Iceland and Wales, Ronaldo is counting on his side to produce one more upset so he can finally win an international trophy. 
 
Portugal will have to beat a French side who have found new inspiration from Griezmann, the tournament&#39;s leading scorer with six goals and will be willed on by a nation longing to rediscover the feelgood factor. 
 
With the country still on terrorist alert after the November 13 attacks in which 130 people died, more than 3,400 police will be on the Champs Elysees in Paris alone when the match starts at the Stade de France at 1900 GMT. 
 
National flags hung from apartment blocks and homes in cities across France and Portugal as football fever mounted. 
 
The buildup to Euro 2016 was clouded by fears that the tournament would be targeted by jihadists after 130 people were killed in terror attacks on Paris in November. 
 
&quot;The French people needed to find their way again,&quot; President Francois Hollande said in a commentary on the wave of support for the national team that has been in disgrace in recent years. 
 
&quot;We saw it at the time of the attacks. We came together in the dramas, we had to find ourselves in the happiness, to come together.&quot;Rival coaches Didier Deschamps of France and Fernando Santos of Portugal have been desperately trying to shield their teams from the sky-high hopes of their nations. 
 
Deschamps, who captained the French side that won the 1998 World Cup and the Euro title in 2000, said he could feel the adrenaline pumping. 
 
&quot;It`s an exceptional moment, a privilege, a unique chance because there is a title at the end,&quot; Deschamps said of the final. 
 
&quot;What you need to do is approach it as relaxed as possible while being at the same time totally focused on the match,&quot; he added. 
 
&quot;On the bench, there is a frustration in not taking part, but I can&#39;t do that anyway. But I&#39;m fine, I don&#39;t feel any pressure, no stress, just adrenaline and that&#39;s positive.&quot; 
 
France have put in some stylish performances, including their 5-2 win over Iceland to end the giant-killing run of the team that dumped England out of the contest. 
 
France captain Hugo Lloris said the team wants to put their name in the history books to redeem themselves for a player revolt at the 2010 World Cup that made them a national disgrace. 
 
The troubles were worsened by the exclusion of star striker Karim Benzema over an alleged sextape blackmail attempt. 
 
&quot;We have come through a crisis in French football,&quot; the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper said. &quot;We have climbed back up the slope, we have done it step by step.&quot; 
 
Lloris said Sunday&#39;s final is &quot;the chance to go into French football history.&quot; 
 
France, with home advantage in the 85,000-capacity stadium, and with Griezmann, star midfielder Paul Pogba and the calming influence of Lloris, start as favourites. 
 
But they acknowledge the omnipresent danger of Ronaldo on the pitch. 
 
Santos has succeeded by building a team around the superstar striker and winning &quot;ugly&quot; when necessary to get to the next round. 
 
Portugal&#39;s 2-0 win over Wales in the semi-final was their first in the tournament achieved within 90 minutes. 
 
Veterans such as defender Pepe and Ricardo Quaresma have played lynchpin roles on days when Ronaldo has failed to fire.Portugal have been criticised for some of their European Championship performances but Santos said he does not care. 
 
He also says France are the favourites but believes Portugal can win. 
 
&quot;Let them carry on saying that Portugal won without deserving it,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;I will be very happy if they say that again tomorrow. I will go home very happy.&quot; 
 
Portugal have never fully recovered from losing the 2004 Euro final to Greece when they hosted the tournament. 
 
Ronaldo, who shed tears as a 19-year-old at that match, said this week he wants to be &quot;crying with joy&quot; today. 
 
Ronaldo&#39;s Real Madrid teammate Pepe is fully fit again after missing the semi-final through injury. Pepe said Portugal were strong because they want to win. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve been at a very demanding club for 10 years and I`ve been playing for Portugal since 2008,&quot; he said when asked about his own ambition to win at the age of 33. 
 
&quot;I have three European Championship and two World Cup campaigns to my name. 
 
&quot;I have always been very demanding of myself. I don`t like to lose, I want to help my team. That makes me play at the highest level and to be recognised at the highest level.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

France Captain Hugo Lloris said Sunday's final is 'the chance to go into French football history'

Football tensions mounted and patriotic hopes rose Sunday ahead of the Euro 2016 final between hosts France and Portugal that will unleash a clash between one of the world's greatest ever players Cristiano Ronaldo and would-be pretender Antoine Griezmann. After 50 matches over a month of football that has seen stunning shocks by Iceland and Wales, Ronaldo is counting on his side to produce one more upset so he can finally win an international trophy. Portugal will have to beat a French side who have found new inspiration from Griezmann, the tournament's leading scorer with six goals and will be willed on by a nation longing to rediscover the feelgood factor. With the country still on terrorist alert after the November 13 attacks in which 130 people died, more than 3,400 police will be on the Champs Elysees in Paris alone when the match starts at the Stade de France at 1900 GMT. National flags hung from apartment blocks and homes in cities across France and Portugal as football fever mounted. The buildup to Euro 2016 was clouded by fears that the tournament would be targeted by jihadists after 130 people were killed in terror attacks on Paris in November. "The French people needed to find their way again," President Francois Hollande said in a commentary on the wave of support for the national team that has been in disgrace in recent years. "We saw it at the time of the attacks. We came together in the dramas, we had to find ourselves in the happiness, to come together."Rival coaches Didier Deschamps of France and Fernando Santos of Portugal have been desperately trying to shield their teams from the sky-high hopes of their nations. Deschamps, who captained the French side that won the 1998 World Cup and the Euro title in 2000, said he could feel the adrenaline pumping. "It`s an exceptional moment, a privilege, a unique chance because there is a title at the end," Deschamps said of the final. "What you need to do is approach it as relaxed as possible while being at the same time totally focused on the match," he added. "On the bench, there is a frustration in not taking part, but I can't do that anyway. But I'm fine, I don't feel any pressure, no stress, just adrenaline and that's positive." France have put in some stylish performances, including their 5-2 win over Iceland to end the giant-killing run of the team that dumped England out of the contest. France captain Hugo Lloris said the team wants to put their name in the history books to redeem themselves for a player revolt at the 2010 World Cup that made them a national disgrace. The troubles were worsened by the exclusion of star striker Karim Benzema over an alleged sextape blackmail attempt. "We have come through a crisis in French football," the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper said. "We have climbed back up the slope, we have done it step by step." Lloris said Sunday's final is "the chance to go into French football history." France, with home advantage in the 85,000-capacity stadium, and with Griezmann, star midfielder Paul Pogba and the calming influence of Lloris, start as favourites. But they acknowledge the omnipresent danger of Ronaldo on the pitch. Santos has succeeded by building a team around the superstar striker and winning "ugly" when necessary to get to the next round. Portugal's 2-0 win over Wales in the semi-final was their first in the tournament achieved within 90 minutes. Veterans such as defender Pepe and Ricardo Quaresma have played lynchpin roles on days when Ronaldo has failed to fire.Portugal have been criticised for some of their European Championship performances but Santos said he does not care. He also says France are the favourites but believes Portugal can win. "Let them carry on saying that Portugal won without deserving it," he said. "I will be very happy if they say that again tomorrow. I will go home very happy." Portugal have never fully recovered from losing the 2004 Euro final to Greece when they hosted the tournament. Ronaldo, who shed tears as a 19-year-old at that match, said this week he wants to be "crying with joy" today. Ronaldo's Real Madrid teammate Pepe is fully fit again after missing the semi-final through injury. Pepe said Portugal were strong because they want to win. "I've been at a very demanding club for 10 years and I`ve been playing for Portugal since 2008," he said when asked about his own ambition to win at the age of 33. "I have three European Championship and two World Cup campaigns to my name. "I have always been very demanding of myself. I don`t like to lose, I want to help my team. That makes me play at the highest level and to be recognised at the highest level." (AFP)

France, Portugal head for Euro 2016 final showdown

Seeking to win an unprecedented third consecutive European Championship, Vicente del Bosque&#39;s Spain will once again have to see off Italy to retain their crown.

Before winning back-to-back Euros and a maiden World Cup in 2010, Spain suffered an inferiority complex with Italy having never beaten them in five tries at major finals.

A quarter-final clash between the two in Vienna in 2008 changed that. Spain -- who had previously suffered a terrible record on penalties -- went through in a shootout before going on to win the tournament.

&quot;That is the most important day in the history of the Spanish national team,&quot; said captain Iker Casillas.

After winning the World Cup, Spain had to face Italy twice more in retaining the Euros four years ago.

A 1-1 draw in the opening match was long forgotten as del Bosque&#39;s men thrashed Italy 4-0 in the final. 
 
La Roja then also won another shootout between the two in the Confederations Cup semi-finals in 2013. Indeed, the European champions have lost just one of their last 11 meetings with Italy - a 2-1 friendly defeat in 2011.

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been a constant menace to the Azzurri. He scored the winning penalty in 2008, Spain&#39;s equaliser in the 2012 opening game and set up David Silva&#39;s opener in the final.

Fabregas will also be coming up against his future manager as Italian boss Antonio Conte will take over at Stamford Bridge next season. 
 
Tough route

&quot;The way they play will demand the absolute most of us,&quot; Fabregas told Spanish sports daily Marca.

Spain started the tournament in great form, sweeping aside the Czech Republic and Turkey.

However, a shock 2-1 defeat to Croatia in Bordeaux on Tuesday cost del Bosque&#39;s men top spot in Group D and a much easier route to the final.

Even if they see off Italy, Spain will have to beat world&#39;s&nbsp;champions Germany and&nbsp;France for the right to defend their title in Paris on July 10.

&quot;We need to get back to playing our best football because they will not stop running and fight for every ball,&quot; added Fabregas.

&quot;They have a very strong defence and they know how to take their chances.&quot;

Italy have been dealt a huge blow with influential midfielder Antonio Candreva ruled out due to a groin injury.

Conte&#39;s men have been unfortunate to find themselves on the tougher side of the draw despite beating the highly-fancied Belgium to top Group E.

&quot;There is a crazy imbalance in the draw for the second round, but those are the rules and we have to respect them,&quot; said Conte.

The former Juventus boss made eight changes for the 1-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday with qualification to the last 16 already assured.

Juventus stalwart Giorgio Chiellini will return to partner club teammates Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci.

And Chiellini is hopeful Italy can reverse their recent run against Spain.

&quot;In a way, they&#39;re our bogey team,&quot; he said.

&quot;But let&#39;s keep things in perspective. The Ireland match, with all respect to them, didn&#39;t really count for us.&quot;

&quot;And if we play to our potential, give it everything and limit them where they are strong, I think we can create something special.&quot;

Chiellini will also come head-to-head with another former Juventus teammate Alvero Morata, who Real Madrid exercised a buyback clause on last week.

&quot;I wish him well for the rest of his career but I hope he has a bad match on Monday,&quot; joked Chiellini.

&quot;He&#39;s a special kind of guy and a player who, as well as having great skills, is only going to get better.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Before Spain's maiden victory in World Cup 2010, it had suffered an 'inferiority complex' for having not beaten Italy in 5 tries at finals

Seeking to win an unprecedented third consecutive European Championship, Vicente del Bosque's Spain will once again have to see off Italy to retain their crown. Before winning back-to-back Euros and a maiden World Cup in 2010, Spain suffered an inferiority complex with Italy having never beaten them in five tries at major finals. A quarter-final clash between the two in Vienna in 2008 changed that. Spain -- who had previously suffered a terrible record on penalties -- went through in a shootout before going on to win the tournament. "That is the most important day in the history of the Spanish national team," said captain Iker Casillas. After winning the World Cup, Spain had to face Italy twice more in retaining the Euros four years ago. A 1-1 draw in the opening match was long forgotten as del Bosque's men thrashed Italy 4-0 in the final. La Roja then also won another shootout between the two in the Confederations Cup semi-finals in 2013. Indeed, the European champions have lost just one of their last 11 meetings with Italy - a 2-1 friendly defeat in 2011. Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been a constant menace to the Azzurri. He scored the winning penalty in 2008, Spain's equaliser in the 2012 opening game and set up David Silva's opener in the final. Fabregas will also be coming up against his future manager as Italian boss Antonio Conte will take over at Stamford Bridge next season. Tough route "The way they play will demand the absolute most of us," Fabregas told Spanish sports daily Marca. Spain started the tournament in great form, sweeping aside the Czech Republic and Turkey. However, a shock 2-1 defeat to Croatia in Bordeaux on Tuesday cost del Bosque's men top spot in Group D and a much easier route to the final. Even if they see off Italy, Spain will have to beat world's champions Germany and France for the right to defend their title in Paris on July 10. "We need to get back to playing our best football because they will not stop running and fight for every ball," added Fabregas. "They have a very strong defence and they know how to take their chances." Italy have been dealt a huge blow with influential midfielder Antonio Candreva ruled out due to a groin injury. Conte's men have been unfortunate to find themselves on the tougher side of the draw despite beating the highly-fancied Belgium to top Group E. "There is a crazy imbalance in the draw for the second round, but those are the rules and we have to respect them," said Conte. The former Juventus boss made eight changes for the 1-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday with qualification to the last 16 already assured. Juventus stalwart Giorgio Chiellini will return to partner club teammates Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci. And Chiellini is hopeful Italy can reverse their recent run against Spain. "In a way, they're our bogey team," he said. "But let's keep things in perspective. The Ireland match, with all respect to them, didn't really count for us." "And if we play to our potential, give it everything and limit them where they are strong, I think we can create something special." Chiellini will also come head-to-head with another former Juventus teammate Alvero Morata, who Real Madrid exercised a buyback clause on last week. "I wish him well for the rest of his career but I hope he has a bad match on Monday," joked Chiellini. "He's a special kind of guy and a player who, as well as having great skills, is only going to get better." (AFP)

Euro 2016: To settle scores with its 'old foe', Spain aims reversal of fortune with Italy

Wales reached the Euro 2016 quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland on Saturday, thanks to an own goal by Gareth McAuley in a poor encounter at the Parc des Princes.

Centre back McAuley turned a Gareth Bale cross into his own net 15 minutes from time in the all British last-16 clash.

The Irish had their best chance in the first half when Stuart Dallas&#39;s fierce strike was parried away by goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

Wales will play Belgium or Hungary, who meet on Sunday, for a place in the semi-finals next Friday in Lille. 
 
(Reuters)

The Welsh will play Belgium or Hungary for a place in the semi-finals next Friday

Wales reached the Euro 2016 quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland on Saturday, thanks to an own goal by Gareth McAuley in a poor encounter at the Parc des Princes. Centre back McAuley turned a Gareth Bale cross into his own net 15 minutes from time in the all British last-16 clash. The Irish had their best chance in the first half when Stuart Dallas's fierce strike was parried away by goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. Wales will play Belgium or Hungary, who meet on Sunday, for a place in the semi-finals next Friday in Lille. (Reuters)

Northern Ireland own goal seals it for Wales, sends it to quarter-finals

A week after England and Russia supporters clashed, and while flare-throwing and fighting have marred games elsewhere, fans of Iceland say they prefer hugs to hooliganism at Euro 2016. 
 
Having the time of their lives, Icelanders told AFP in Marseille they have come to their first ever European Championships to have fun and feel part of Europe. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not sure life can get any better, it&#39;s historic, great to be here,&quot; Louise Ragnarsdottir told AFP on the seafront of the southern city.&nbsp;&quot;All my life I watched the tournaments on TV, now we are part of Europe&#39;s party!&quot; said the 28-year-old accountant from Reykjavik. 
 
Some 27,000 Iceland fans have travelled to France, almost 10 per cent of the Nordic island&#39;s 330,000-strong population. No smaller country has ever featured at a Euro finals. 
 
&quot;We live on a faraway island, just to go abroad at all is an experience,&quot; said Ragnarsdottir. 
 
After the Group F tie with Hungary on Saturday pockets of Iceland fans gathered in Marseille&#39;s Vieux Port district to chant &quot;Boom-Boom-Hoooo!&quot;, leaping in unison on the &quot;Hoooo!&quot;. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s our Viking song, synchronised and terrifying,&quot; laughed Arni Gardar, an IT consultant from Reykjavik. 
 
&quot;But we don&#39;t mean to be scary, we are good Vikings not marauders, actually very nice, we come in peace,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Iceland is N-Iceland!&quot; cried another fan, Jonina Unnur Gunnarsdottir. 
 
&nbsp;&#39;Best fans yet&#39; 
 
&quot;They are the best fans we have seen yet,&quot; said Karim, a cafe owner watching the revelry on the Quai des Belges. &quot;It was different last week,&quot; he recalled. 
 
Nearly a week ago England and Russia fans conducted pitched battles in the worst violence at a football tournament since the 1998 World Cup, prompting police to respond with tear gas and baton charges. 
 
For fans of the Nordic minnows the Euro 2016 violence has been an eye-opening experience. 
 
&quot;We are a peaceful nation, we have no army, no guns, we&#39;re just not into fighting,&quot; Atli Gudmundsson told AFP. &quot;At home families go to football, no-one dreams of ever causing trouble.&quot; 
 
The 29-year-old attended the Croatia-Czech Republic tie in Saint Etienne on Friday where Croatian fans fought among themselves and lit flares, forcing a temporary stoppage in play. 
 
&quot;Torches on the pitch, fighting in the stands, that kind of thing is new to us, it was quite shocking to see,&quot; he said. 
 
&#39;Share the love&#39;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We just want to hug people, I mean come on, just share the love,&quot; said his friend Daniel Ma&#39;sson. 
 
Hungary brought some 20,000 fans to the game in Marseille. Some scuffled with security guards before the game and threw flares on the pitch. 
 
All the tension was on the other side of the pitch,&quot; Elisabet Thorisdottir told AFP. 
 
&quot;The Hungarians were a little bit aggressive, but very passionate. We had no problem with them or anyone else.&quot; 
 
Around 10,000 Iceland fans were also in the Stade Velodrome and the two sets of fans produced a raucous atmosphere, the Scandinavians holding their own with renditions of &quot;Boom-Boom-Hoooo&quot;. 
 
And leading 1-0 with two minutes to go Iceland were on the brink of a fairytale win to follow the 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal on their European Championships debut. 
 
Then two minutes from the end an own goal by Birkir Savarsson crushed their dreams. 
 
&quot;The Portugal 1-1 draw was like a win, but the Hungary 1-1 felt like a defeat,&quot; said Iceland fan Bjarni Mak Johanntsson. 
 
But for a country that just four years ago was ranked 131st in the world, their fans will enjoy the rest of Euro 2016 no matter whatever happens in the final group game against Austria in the Stade de France on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re the small guys, always overlooked,&quot; said Hdortur Bjarnason. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just good to be noticed for once. Europe, we will be back!&quot; he said, punching the air. 
(AFP)

Almost 10% of all Icelanders have come to their first-ever European Championships to have fun

A week after England and Russia supporters clashed, and while flare-throwing and fighting have marred games elsewhere, fans of Iceland say they prefer hugs to hooliganism at Euro 2016. Having the time of their lives, Icelanders told AFP in Marseille they have come to their first ever European Championships to have fun and feel part of Europe. "I'm not sure life can get any better, it's historic, great to be here," Louise Ragnarsdottir told AFP on the seafront of the southern city. "All my life I watched the tournaments on TV, now we are part of Europe's party!" said the 28-year-old accountant from Reykjavik. Some 27,000 Iceland fans have travelled to France, almost 10 per cent of the Nordic island's 330,000-strong population. No smaller country has ever featured at a Euro finals. "We live on a faraway island, just to go abroad at all is an experience," said Ragnarsdottir. After the Group F tie with Hungary on Saturday pockets of Iceland fans gathered in Marseille's Vieux Port district to chant "Boom-Boom-Hoooo!", leaping in unison on the "Hoooo!". "It's our Viking song, synchronised and terrifying," laughed Arni Gardar, an IT consultant from Reykjavik. "But we don't mean to be scary, we are good Vikings not marauders, actually very nice, we come in peace," he said. "Iceland is N-Iceland!" cried another fan, Jonina Unnur Gunnarsdottir. 'Best fans yet' "They are the best fans we have seen yet," said Karim, a cafe owner watching the revelry on the Quai des Belges. "It was different last week," he recalled. Nearly a week ago England and Russia fans conducted pitched battles in the worst violence at a football tournament since the 1998 World Cup, prompting police to respond with tear gas and baton charges. For fans of the Nordic minnows the Euro 2016 violence has been an eye-opening experience. "We are a peaceful nation, we have no army, no guns, we're just not into fighting," Atli Gudmundsson told AFP. "At home families go to football, no-one dreams of ever causing trouble." The 29-year-old attended the Croatia-Czech Republic tie in Saint Etienne on Friday where Croatian fans fought among themselves and lit flares, forcing a temporary stoppage in play. "Torches on the pitch, fighting in the stands, that kind of thing is new to us, it was quite shocking to see," he said. 'Share the love' "We just want to hug people, I mean come on, just share the love," said his friend Daniel Ma'sson. Hungary brought some 20,000 fans to the game in Marseille. Some scuffled with security guards before the game and threw flares on the pitch. All the tension was on the other side of the pitch," Elisabet Thorisdottir told AFP. "The Hungarians were a little bit aggressive, but very passionate. We had no problem with them or anyone else." Around 10,000 Iceland fans were also in the Stade Velodrome and the two sets of fans produced a raucous atmosphere, the Scandinavians holding their own with renditions of "Boom-Boom-Hoooo". And leading 1-0 with two minutes to go Iceland were on the brink of a fairytale win to follow the 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on their European Championships debut. Then two minutes from the end an own goal by Birkir Savarsson crushed their dreams. "The Portugal 1-1 draw was like a win, but the Hungary 1-1 felt like a defeat," said Iceland fan Bjarni Mak Johanntsson. But for a country that just four years ago was ranked 131st in the world, their fans will enjoy the rest of Euro 2016 no matter whatever happens in the final group game against Austria in the Stade de France on Wednesday. "We're the small guys, always overlooked," said Hdortur Bjarnason. "It's just good to be noticed for once. Europe, we will be back!" he said, punching the air. (AFP)

'Nice' Iceland fans prefer hugs to hooliganism

Iceland pulled off one of the biggest shocks in European Championship history when they stunned abject England 2-1 on Monday, leading Roy Hodgson to quit and sending the tiny nation into a quarter-final against hosts France. 
 
Although the soccer pedigrees of the two countries could not be more different, Iceland looked the better team in just about every aspect of the game and fully deserved to extend their dream run on their first tournament appearance. 
 
After falling behind to a fourth-minute Wayne Rooney penalty they levelled almost immediately through Ragnar Sigurdsson and struck again in the 18th with a shot by Kolbeinn Sigthorsson. 
 
A ponderous England never looked remotely capable of finding a way back into the game and even at the end when they were reduced to launching long balls into the box, Iceland dealt with everything comfortably. 
 
&ldquo;It feels fantastic to come here as an underdog and perform in this way,&quot; said Iceland joint-coach Lars Lagerback, who also claimed two wins and four draws against England in his days as Sweden manager. 
 
Pundits were quick to rank England&#39;s defeat alongside that against the amateurs of the United States in the 1950 World Cup but such a judgement conveniently overlooks the progress the Icelanders have made in recent seasons, not least in beating the Netherlands home and away to get to France in the first place. 
 
It also fails to take into account England&#39;s miserable European Championship record, where they have won only one knockout match, on penalties at home to Spain in 1996. 
 
Hodgson, who steered the team to 10 straight wins in qualifying, duly became the latest in a long line of England managers to fall on his sword after a failure to get to the business end when it really matters. 
 
&quot;Now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players,&quot; Hodgson said, reading a prepared statement. 
 
&quot;They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them,&quot; he added in a bizarre account of yet another failure to perform at a major tournament. 
 
Hodgson, 68, then refused to take further questions 
 
 
Short lead 
It all looked so different for England at the start when Raheem Sterling was hauled down by keeper Hannes Halldorsson, allowing Rooney to smash them ahead from the penalty spot on his 115th appearance, matching David Beckham&#39;s outfield record. 
 
The lead lasted less than two minutes, though, as Iceland, scored via an Aron Gunnarsson long throw, just as they had predicted. It was flicked on by Kari Arnason to an unmarked Ragnar Sigurdsson to sweep home. 
 
If England&#39;s defending was bad for that goal it was disastrous for the second as Iceland were allowed time and space on the edge of the box to set up Sigthorsson for a low shot that Joe Hart should have saved but merely took the power off as it rolled over the line. 
 
England looked shell-shocked and spent the rest of the half struggling to make any inroads, their front men and attacking midfielders static, and were booed off by their own fans. 
 
England threw on midfielder Jack Wilshere for the second half and then striker Jamie Vardy but the team&#39;s passing was awful and their movement sluggish. 
 
Harry Kane, the Premier League&#39;s leading scorer last season, summed up the poor quality on show when he took three free kicks and launched each one high into the stands without a team mate even close to connecting with the ball. 
 
The final whistle produced extraordinary scenes as the entire Iceland squad and coaches sprinted to the corner of the pitch to celebrate ecstatically with their fans. 
 
They can now look forward to facing France with the prize for the winner being a semi-final against Germany or Italy. 
 
&quot;Everyone started to run towards the fans so I did that too and then I flipped out completely,&quot; said Ragnar Sigurdsson. 
 
&quot;This is the biggest thing everyone in the squad has experienced. I don&rsquo;t know how big it is, but it&rsquo;s damn big.&quot; 
 
In contrast England&#39;s players sank to the turf in despair, with a deluge of jeers, boos and whistles raining down from the fans all around them, finally being encouraged to leave the pitch to a chant of &quot;You&#39;re not fit to wear the shirt.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Hodgson quits, Iceland will go on to play hosts France in the quarter-final

Iceland pulled off one of the biggest shocks in European Championship history when they stunned abject England 2-1 on Monday, leading Roy Hodgson to quit and sending the tiny nation into a quarter-final against hosts France. Although the soccer pedigrees of the two countries could not be more different, Iceland looked the better team in just about every aspect of the game and fully deserved to extend their dream run on their first tournament appearance. After falling behind to a fourth-minute Wayne Rooney penalty they levelled almost immediately through Ragnar Sigurdsson and struck again in the 18th with a shot by Kolbeinn Sigthorsson. A ponderous England never looked remotely capable of finding a way back into the game and even at the end when they were reduced to launching long balls into the box, Iceland dealt with everything comfortably. “It feels fantastic to come here as an underdog and perform in this way," said Iceland joint-coach Lars Lagerback, who also claimed two wins and four draws against England in his days as Sweden manager. Pundits were quick to rank England's defeat alongside that against the amateurs of the United States in the 1950 World Cup but such a judgement conveniently overlooks the progress the Icelanders have made in recent seasons, not least in beating the Netherlands home and away to get to France in the first place. It also fails to take into account England's miserable European Championship record, where they have won only one knockout match, on penalties at home to Spain in 1996. Hodgson, who steered the team to 10 straight wins in qualifying, duly became the latest in a long line of England managers to fall on his sword after a failure to get to the business end when it really matters. "Now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players," Hodgson said, reading a prepared statement. "They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them," he added in a bizarre account of yet another failure to perform at a major tournament. Hodgson, 68, then refused to take further questions Short lead It all looked so different for England at the start when Raheem Sterling was hauled down by keeper Hannes Halldorsson, allowing Rooney to smash them ahead from the penalty spot on his 115th appearance, matching David Beckham's outfield record. The lead lasted less than two minutes, though, as Iceland, scored via an Aron Gunnarsson long throw, just as they had predicted. It was flicked on by Kari Arnason to an unmarked Ragnar Sigurdsson to sweep home. If England's defending was bad for that goal it was disastrous for the second as Iceland were allowed time and space on the edge of the box to set up Sigthorsson for a low shot that Joe Hart should have saved but merely took the power off as it rolled over the line. England looked shell-shocked and spent the rest of the half struggling to make any inroads, their front men and attacking midfielders static, and were booed off by their own fans. England threw on midfielder Jack Wilshere for the second half and then striker Jamie Vardy but the team's passing was awful and their movement sluggish. Harry Kane, the Premier League's leading scorer last season, summed up the poor quality on show when he took three free kicks and launched each one high into the stands without a team mate even close to connecting with the ball. The final whistle produced extraordinary scenes as the entire Iceland squad and coaches sprinted to the corner of the pitch to celebrate ecstatically with their fans. They can now look forward to facing France with the prize for the winner being a semi-final against Germany or Italy. "Everyone started to run towards the fans so I did that too and then I flipped out completely," said Ragnar Sigurdsson. "This is the biggest thing everyone in the squad has experienced. I don’t know how big it is, but it’s damn big." In contrast England's players sank to the turf in despair, with a deluge of jeers, boos and whistles raining down from the fans all around them, finally being encouraged to leave the pitch to a chant of "You're not fit to wear the shirt." (Reuters)

England exit another Euro after they lose 2-1 to Iceland

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney&#39;s England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. 
 
To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. 
 
But they come into today&#39;s game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque&#39;s team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. 
 
It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. 
 
While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. 
 
&quot;We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are,&quot; he said. 
 
Recent history is on Spain&#39;s side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. 
 
Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to go home, the boys don&#39;t want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch,&quot; said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. 
 
Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition&#39;s joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. 
 
Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. 
 
Chance of a lifetime&nbsp; 
 
England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. 
 
Iceland&#39;s population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. 
 
But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. 
 
Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. 
 
Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a &quot;win or bust&quot; clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not &quot;beg&quot; for his job. 
 
&quot;I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I&#39;m prepared to carry on if the FA want me to,&quot; Hodgson said. 
 
&quot;If they don&#39;t want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I&#39;m not begging for the job.&quot; 
 
England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We&#39;re showing full respect.&quot; 
 
Iceland&#39;s co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. 
 
&quot;If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already.&quot; 
 
Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. 
 
(AFP)

To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final which they won by 4-0

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney's England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. But they come into today's game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque's team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. "We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are," he said. Recent history is on Spain's side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. "I don't want to go home, the boys don't want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch," said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition's joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. Chance of a lifetime England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. Iceland's population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a "win or bust" clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not "beg" for his job. "I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I'm prepared to carry on if the FA want me to," Hodgson said. "If they don't want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I'm not begging for the job." England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. "We're not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We're showing full respect." Iceland's co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. "If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different," he said. "But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already." Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. (AFP)

Spain-Italy in 'early final', England eye quarters

UEFA began disciplinary proceedings today against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium for incidents in their Euro 2016 matches the previous day. 
 
Portugal is charged with allowing a pitch invasion, Hungary for allowing crowd disturbances and other offences and Belgium for its fans setting off fireworks and throwing objects. 
 
A fan ran on to the pitch in Portugal&#39;s 0-0 draw with Austria at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. 
 
In Marseille, Hungarian fans clashed with stewards in the Stade Velodrome as they tried to climb a fence to join up with another group of Hungarians before the 1-1 draw with Iceland. 
 
Hungary is also accused of allowing its fans to set off fireworks and throwing objects. 
 
The punishment in that case will be announced on Tuesday. 
 
Belgium also faces charges that its supporters threw fireworks and other objects during the 3-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux. 
 
UEFA said it was yet to decide a date for its disciplinary committee to meet on the cases of Belgium and Portugal. 
(AFP)

A fan ran on to the pitch after Portugal's 0-0 draw with Austria in Paris and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo

UEFA began disciplinary proceedings today against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium for incidents in their Euro 2016 matches the previous day. Portugal is charged with allowing a pitch invasion, Hungary for allowing crowd disturbances and other offences and Belgium for its fans setting off fireworks and throwing objects. A fan ran on to the pitch in Portugal's 0-0 draw with Austria at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. In Marseille, Hungarian fans clashed with stewards in the Stade Velodrome as they tried to climb a fence to join up with another group of Hungarians before the 1-1 draw with Iceland. Hungary is also accused of allowing its fans to set off fireworks and throwing objects. The punishment in that case will be announced on Tuesday. Belgium also faces charges that its supporters threw fireworks and other objects during the 3-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux. UEFA said it was yet to decide a date for its disciplinary committee to meet on the cases of Belgium and Portugal. (AFP)

UEFA opens disciplinary probes against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium

It will be virgin territory for Wales when they face Portugal in the Euro 2016 semi-finals yet their opponents could be forgiven a sense of deja vu as they step on to the pitch in Lyon today. 
 
This will be Portugal&#39;s fourth semi-final in the last five editions of the competition stretching back to 2000, but for all their success in reaching the latter stages of the tournament, there has been little glory along the way. 
 
Only once have they overcome the last-four hurdle and then they were beaten in the final by Greece as hosts at Euro 2004. 
 
If their defeat in the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup and the loss at the Euros in 1984 are taken into account, they are becoming all too familiar with the pitfalls of this stage of major tournaments. 
 
Portugal&#39;s conquerors in their recent last-four clashes have included football powerhouses France, at Euro 2000 and the World Cup in 2006, and Spain at Euro 2012. 
 
If they lose to Wales, playing their first major tournament in 58 years and their first ever semi-final, it would be a devastating blow. 
 
Yet Wales are arguably the form team coming into the match. 
 
Chris Coleman&#39;s side have revelled in their underdog status to win their group, which also included England, Russia and Slovakia, ease out British rivals Northern Ireland in the last 16 and sweep past heavy favourites Belgium in the quarters. 
 
Portugal are yet to win a match at the tournament inside 90 minutes, having drawn all three group games, beaten Croatia in extra time and squeezed past Poland on penalties. 
 
Things are yet to click for Portugal, and for captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who has at times looked exasperated by his team mates attacking shortcomings. 
 
Yet Portugal are unbeaten in 12 competitive internationals since Fernando Santos took over as coach at the start of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. 
 
With Ronaldo&#39;s Real Madrid team mate Pepe marshalling an increasingly assured defence, they will be tough to break down. 
 
Especially for a Wales side deprived of one of their most talented creative influences in midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who will be suspended after picking up a booking in the win over Belgium. 
 
While Gareth Bale has been Wales&#39;s attacking talisman, scoring three times to lift them out of their group, Ramsey has been arguably their most influential player, scoring one and producing four assists in the run to the last four. 
 
The match is likely to be billed as a contest between the two most expensive players in the world - Ronaldo, who will play a record third European Championship semi-final, and his Real Madrid team mate Bale. 
 
Perhaps ominously for Wales, Ronaldo has netted twice in each of his last two games in Lyon for club and country. 
 
(Reuters)

Things are yet to click for the Portuguese and their captain Ronaldo, who has at times looked exasperated by his teammates' shortcomings

It will be virgin territory for Wales when they face Portugal in the Euro 2016 semi-finals yet their opponents could be forgiven a sense of deja vu as they step on to the pitch in Lyon today. This will be Portugal's fourth semi-final in the last five editions of the competition stretching back to 2000, but for all their success in reaching the latter stages of the tournament, there has been little glory along the way. Only once have they overcome the last-four hurdle and then they were beaten in the final by Greece as hosts at Euro 2004. If their defeat in the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup and the loss at the Euros in 1984 are taken into account, they are becoming all too familiar with the pitfalls of this stage of major tournaments. Portugal's conquerors in their recent last-four clashes have included football powerhouses France, at Euro 2000 and the World Cup in 2006, and Spain at Euro 2012. If they lose to Wales, playing their first major tournament in 58 years and their first ever semi-final, it would be a devastating blow. Yet Wales are arguably the form team coming into the match. Chris Coleman's side have revelled in their underdog status to win their group, which also included England, Russia and Slovakia, ease out British rivals Northern Ireland in the last 16 and sweep past heavy favourites Belgium in the quarters. Portugal are yet to win a match at the tournament inside 90 minutes, having drawn all three group games, beaten Croatia in extra time and squeezed past Poland on penalties. Things are yet to click for Portugal, and for captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who has at times looked exasperated by his team mates attacking shortcomings. Yet Portugal are unbeaten in 12 competitive internationals since Fernando Santos took over as coach at the start of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. With Ronaldo's Real Madrid team mate Pepe marshalling an increasingly assured defence, they will be tough to break down. Especially for a Wales side deprived of one of their most talented creative influences in midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who will be suspended after picking up a booking in the win over Belgium. While Gareth Bale has been Wales's attacking talisman, scoring three times to lift them out of their group, Ramsey has been arguably their most influential player, scoring one and producing four assists in the run to the last four. The match is likely to be billed as a contest between the two most expensive players in the world - Ronaldo, who will play a record third European Championship semi-final, and his Real Madrid team mate Bale. Perhaps ominously for Wales, Ronaldo has netted twice in each of his last two games in Lyon for club and country. (Reuters)

In-form Wales take on Portugal

Any sliver of a doubt over whether Cristiano Ronaldo would lead Portugal into the Euro 2016 was erased on Tuesday when he was named in their 23-man squad for the finals.

The 31-year-old forward, who scored the decisive penalty as Real Madrid won their 11th European Cup last weekend, will skip Portugal&#39;s friendly against England at Wembley on Thursday.

Ronaldo is merely recharging his batteries on holiday in Ibiza after a long season, however, and will join up with the squad in plenty of time for their opening fixture against Iceland on June 14 in Saint Etienne.

Coach Fernando Santos, whose team will also meet Hungary and Austria in Group F, was able to confirm the squad he announced on May 17.

Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Olympique Lyon), Eduardo (D?namo Zagreb), Rui Patricio (Sporting)

Defenders: Bruno Alves (Fenerbah?e), Cedric (Southampton), Jose Fonte (Southampton), Eliseu (Benfica), Pepe (Real Madrid), Raphael Guerreiro (Lorient), Ricardo Carvalho (Monaco), Vieirinha (VfL Wolfsburg).

Midfielders: Adrien Silva (Sporting), Joao Mario (Sporting), William Carvalho (Sporting), Andre Gomes (Valencia), Danilo Pereira (Porto), Renato Sanches (Benfica), Joao Moutinho (Monaco)

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Eder (Lille), Nani (Fenerbahce), Rafa (Braga), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas)

But he will skip friendly against England on Thursday

Any sliver of a doubt over whether Cristiano Ronaldo would lead Portugal into the Euro 2016 was erased on Tuesday when he was named in their 23-man squad for the finals. The 31-year-old forward, who scored the decisive penalty as Real Madrid won their 11th European Cup last weekend, will skip Portugal's friendly against England at Wembley on Thursday. Ronaldo is merely recharging his batteries on holiday in Ibiza after a long season, however, and will join up with the squad in plenty of time for their opening fixture against Iceland on June 14 in Saint Etienne. Coach Fernando Santos, whose team will also meet Hungary and Austria in Group F, was able to confirm the squad he announced on May 17. Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Olympique Lyon), Eduardo (D?namo Zagreb), Rui Patricio (Sporting) Defenders: Bruno Alves (Fenerbah?e), Cedric (Southampton), Jose Fonte (Southampton), Eliseu (Benfica), Pepe (Real Madrid), Raphael Guerreiro (Lorient), Ricardo Carvalho (Monaco), Vieirinha (VfL Wolfsburg). Midfielders: Adrien Silva (Sporting), Joao Mario (Sporting), William Carvalho (Sporting), Andre Gomes (Valencia), Danilo Pereira (Porto), Renato Sanches (Benfica), Joao Moutinho (Monaco) Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Eder (Lille), Nani (Fenerbahce), Rafa (Braga), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas)

Ronaldo to lead Portugal at Euro 2016

Defending European champions, Spain booked their place in the last 16 round of Euro 2016 on Friday with a convincing 3-0 win against Turkey in Nice. 
 
Vicente del Bosque&#39;s men bossed the Group D tie from the kickoff, with a double by Juventus&#39; Alvaro Morato and a first competitive international goal from Nolito sealing a comfortable win. 
 
&quot;We showed our winning mentality and great team spirit here tonight,&quot; said Andres Iniesta, who was awarded man-of-the-match. 
 
&quot;It depends on ourselves how far we go here, the feelings we have are very positive at the moment,&quot; he said. 
 
Turkey could also face UEFA sanctions after sections of their support lit flares and threw firecrackers onto the pitch at full-time. 
 
Spain, aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive Euros title, can seal top spot in the pool with just a draw against Croatia in their final group game on Tuesday. 
 
Turkey need to beat the Czech Republic in their final match and hope other results go their way to have any chance of progressing as one of the four best third-placed sides from the six groups. 
 
&quot;We have completed our first objective, to qualify for the next round, we controlled the game almost for the whole 90 minutes and we scored goals, so it was perfect,&quot; Del Bosque said. 
 
&quot;But we haven&#39;t won anything yet, we are on a good path but there is still a long way to go,&quot; he added. 
 
Before the game Turkey coach Fatih Terim had called for more &quot;fight&quot; from his side to keep their Euro 2016 hopes alive after an out-of-sorts display against Croatia on Sunday, and for a while his players responded. 
 
Sitting deep and launching the occasional counter-attack, Hakan Calhanoglu roused Turkey&#39;s raucous fans by sending a free-kick just over David de Gea&#39;s crossbar on 25 minutes. 
 
From the half-hour though, Spain moved up a gear, starving Turkey of possession and, with Iniesta pulling the strings in midfield, carving out chance after chance. 
 
And Terim lambasted his players for not giving their all for the cause. 
 
&quot;Today our national team threw in the towel, I didn&#39;t like it,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Spain are a special team, one of the strongest sides in the tournament, the first 30 minutes was ok but afterwards we didn&#39;t play well,&quot; he said. 
 
First Sergio Busquets teed up Nolito for a right-footed curler just wide of left post. 
 
Then the busy Celta Vigo winger scuffed wide under pressure after a cutback from Juanfran. 
 
On 34 minutes, though, Nolito turned provider to greater effect. 
 
Looking up, he spotted Morato unmarked in front of goal and curled a pass over the defence to the marksman whose header gave Spain the lead. 
 
Three minutes later, Vicente del Bosque&#39;s men went two-up, this time with Nolito as the finisher. 
 
A chip into the box by Cesc Fabregas should not have reached its target but Mehmet Topal, off-balance, headed backward to the lurking Nolito who half-volleyed on the turn past Volkan Babacan. 
 
After the break, despite some brief flurries of Turkish resistance, Spain quickly added a third on 48 minutes. 
 
Iniesta, immaculate throughout, threaded a ball through the Turkish defence to Jordi Alba who squared to Morato for his second of the night, a tap-in through Babacan&#39;s legs. 
 
It was all too easy after that for the two-time defending champions. 
 
Substitute Bruno Soriano nearly scored a fourth midway through the half, forcing a Babacan to tip round the post. 
 
Then two minutes from the end he ballooned over when well-placed. 
 
It was another desperately disappointing day for Turkey who had come into the tournament in fine form. 
 
Individual mistakes caused at least one of the goals, said the 62-year-old Terim who guided Turkey to the European Championship semi-final in 2008. 
 
&quot;One of them was unbelievable, even the smallest chances you can&#39;t give Spain, otherwise there is no way to resist them&quot;. 
 
Fancied by some as dark horses to at least escape the group, they didn&#39;t manage a shot on target, while their fans even took to booing their star player Barcelona&#39;s Arda Turan late on. 
(AFP)&nbsp;

They're aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive Euro title

Defending European champions, Spain booked their place in the last 16 round of Euro 2016 on Friday with a convincing 3-0 win against Turkey in Nice. Vicente del Bosque's men bossed the Group D tie from the kickoff, with a double by Juventus' Alvaro Morato and a first competitive international goal from Nolito sealing a comfortable win. "We showed our winning mentality and great team spirit here tonight," said Andres Iniesta, who was awarded man-of-the-match. "It depends on ourselves how far we go here, the feelings we have are very positive at the moment," he said. Turkey could also face UEFA sanctions after sections of their support lit flares and threw firecrackers onto the pitch at full-time. Spain, aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive Euros title, can seal top spot in the pool with just a draw against Croatia in their final group game on Tuesday. Turkey need to beat the Czech Republic in their final match and hope other results go their way to have any chance of progressing as one of the four best third-placed sides from the six groups. "We have completed our first objective, to qualify for the next round, we controlled the game almost for the whole 90 minutes and we scored goals, so it was perfect," Del Bosque said. "But we haven't won anything yet, we are on a good path but there is still a long way to go," he added. Before the game Turkey coach Fatih Terim had called for more "fight" from his side to keep their Euro 2016 hopes alive after an out-of-sorts display against Croatia on Sunday, and for a while his players responded. Sitting deep and launching the occasional counter-attack, Hakan Calhanoglu roused Turkey's raucous fans by sending a free-kick just over David de Gea's crossbar on 25 minutes. From the half-hour though, Spain moved up a gear, starving Turkey of possession and, with Iniesta pulling the strings in midfield, carving out chance after chance. And Terim lambasted his players for not giving their all for the cause. "Today our national team threw in the towel, I didn't like it," he said. "Spain are a special team, one of the strongest sides in the tournament, the first 30 minutes was ok but afterwards we didn't play well," he said. First Sergio Busquets teed up Nolito for a right-footed curler just wide of left post. Then the busy Celta Vigo winger scuffed wide under pressure after a cutback from Juanfran. On 34 minutes, though, Nolito turned provider to greater effect. Looking up, he spotted Morato unmarked in front of goal and curled a pass over the defence to the marksman whose header gave Spain the lead. Three minutes later, Vicente del Bosque's men went two-up, this time with Nolito as the finisher. A chip into the box by Cesc Fabregas should not have reached its target but Mehmet Topal, off-balance, headed backward to the lurking Nolito who half-volleyed on the turn past Volkan Babacan. After the break, despite some brief flurries of Turkish resistance, Spain quickly added a third on 48 minutes. Iniesta, immaculate throughout, threaded a ball through the Turkish defence to Jordi Alba who squared to Morato for his second of the night, a tap-in through Babacan's legs. It was all too easy after that for the two-time defending champions. Substitute Bruno Soriano nearly scored a fourth midway through the half, forcing a Babacan to tip round the post. Then two minutes from the end he ballooned over when well-placed. It was another desperately disappointing day for Turkey who had come into the tournament in fine form. Individual mistakes caused at least one of the goals, said the 62-year-old Terim who guided Turkey to the European Championship semi-final in 2008. "One of them was unbelievable, even the smallest chances you can't give Spain, otherwise there is no way to resist them". Fancied by some as dark horses to at least escape the group, they didn't manage a shot on target, while their fans even took to booing their star player Barcelona's Arda Turan late on. (AFP)

Euro: Spain walk all over Turkey, then cruise to last 16 with 3-0 win

Spain go into Friday&#39;s EURO 2016 game against Turkey determined to be more efficient in front of goal and no fan is more eager for that to happen than Antonio Banderas. 
 
The 55-year-old Spanish actor and director, a fervent supporter of his home club Malaga and of the national team, posted a photograph on his Twitter feed on Friday of himself in the Spanish team kit and ready to volley a football. 
 
The caption read: &quot;Ready for today&#39;s game. Do you think they will call me in?&quot; 
 
Spain, winners of Euro 2008 and 2012, began their title defence with a 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic on Monday. After Friday&#39;s game against Turkey in Nice, they end Group D against Croatia in Bordeaux next Tuesday. 
(Reuters)

Spanish actor and director Antonio Banderas displayed his support for Spain at EURO 2016 via twitter

Spain go into Friday's EURO 2016 game against Turkey determined to be more efficient in front of goal and no fan is more eager for that to happen than Antonio Banderas. The 55-year-old Spanish actor and director, a fervent supporter of his home club Malaga and of the national team, posted a photograph on his Twitter feed on Friday of himself in the Spanish team kit and ready to volley a football. The caption read: "Ready for today's game. Do you think they will call me in?" Spain, winners of Euro 2008 and 2012, began their title defence with a 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic on Monday. After Friday's game against Turkey in Nice, they end Group D against Croatia in Bordeaux next Tuesday. (Reuters)

Banderas offers his services to Spain

Michael O&#39;Neill&#39;s class of 2016 may not quite possess the flair of their celebrated Northern Ireland predecessors of 1982 but how many teams in this European Championship can match their heart and commitment? 
 
That seemed like a fair question after O&#39;Neill&#39;s side had ended their 34-year wait for a major tournament victory with a 2-0 win over Ukraine that showcased their remarkable spirit. 
 
&quot;You can ask for different things as a manager,&quot; said O&#39;Neill, &quot;but when you get a performance like that, pure commitment and heart, there&#39;s nothing more you can ask.&quot; 
 
While his side may not be able to match their Euro 2016 opponents for class, they demonstrated once more that they are masters of concealing weaknesses and maximising their strengths. 
 
Goals from Gareth McAuley and Niall McGinn against Ukraine ended the long famine that stretched back to the 1982 World Cup, when Gerry Armstrong&#39;s low finish famously downed hosts Spain. 
 
O&#39;Neill was already on the verge of Messianic status after guiding the Irish to their first major tournament in 30 years and deserved all the praise for again getting things right with a bold team selection on Thursday. 
 
He dropped talismanic striker Kyle Lafferty after the opening defeat by Poland, turning instead to the inexperienced Conor Washington, who repaid his coach with tireless chasing and pressurising of the Ukrainian defenders. 
 
That is the Northern Ireland hallmark. O&#39;Neill&#39;s side may not have the sheen of the class of &#39;82, who boasted luminaries like Martin O&#39;Neill (the Ireland coach here), Pat Jennings, Norman Whiteside, Sammy McIlroy and Armstrong in their ranks, yet excellent organisation and meticulous training ground work has made them tough opposition for anybody. For instance, their set-piece routine when McAuley rose to meet Olivier Norwood&#39;s free kick was simple but very effective. 
 
&quot;We like to have something up our sleeve,&quot; smiled a justifiably satisfied O&#39;Neill. 
 
He also has a team which appears to be driven by proving a point to non-believers. 
 
&quot;A few people didn&#39;t give us a chance of getting a point when the draw was made,&quot; McAuley told journalists. &quot;But that&#39;s what Northern Ireland are all about -- proving people wrong.&quot; 
 
They also became the first British side to keep a clean sheet at this tournament after their relentless harrying and defensive discipline stymied Ukraine. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve talked about leaving a legacy from this tournament,&quot; said McAuley. &quot;Football&#39;s a romantic game, and sometimes the underdogs come through.&quot; 
 
The class of &#39;82 would recognise that better than anybody. &quot;Bring on Germany!&quot; urged 1982 hero Whiteside, now a television pundit. He is not the only Northern Irishman who fancies that O&#39;Neill&#39;s side are not finished with writing history quite yet. 
(Reuters)

Northern Ireland has proved a point to non-believers by becoming what it is -- a fierce competitor

Michael O'Neill's class of 2016 may not quite possess the flair of their celebrated Northern Ireland predecessors of 1982 but how many teams in this European Championship can match their heart and commitment? That seemed like a fair question after O'Neill's side had ended their 34-year wait for a major tournament victory with a 2-0 win over Ukraine that showcased their remarkable spirit. "You can ask for different things as a manager," said O'Neill, "but when you get a performance like that, pure commitment and heart, there's nothing more you can ask." While his side may not be able to match their Euro 2016 opponents for class, they demonstrated once more that they are masters of concealing weaknesses and maximising their strengths. Goals from Gareth McAuley and Niall McGinn against Ukraine ended the long famine that stretched back to the 1982 World Cup, when Gerry Armstrong's low finish famously downed hosts Spain. O'Neill was already on the verge of Messianic status after guiding the Irish to their first major tournament in 30 years and deserved all the praise for again getting things right with a bold team selection on Thursday. He dropped talismanic striker Kyle Lafferty after the opening defeat by Poland, turning instead to the inexperienced Conor Washington, who repaid his coach with tireless chasing and pressurising of the Ukrainian defenders. That is the Northern Ireland hallmark. O'Neill's side may not have the sheen of the class of '82, who boasted luminaries like Martin O'Neill (the Ireland coach here), Pat Jennings, Norman Whiteside, Sammy McIlroy and Armstrong in their ranks, yet excellent organisation and meticulous training ground work has made them tough opposition for anybody. For instance, their set-piece routine when McAuley rose to meet Olivier Norwood's free kick was simple but very effective. "We like to have something up our sleeve," smiled a justifiably satisfied O'Neill. He also has a team which appears to be driven by proving a point to non-believers. "A few people didn't give us a chance of getting a point when the draw was made," McAuley told journalists. "But that's what Northern Ireland are all about -- proving people wrong." They also became the first British side to keep a clean sheet at this tournament after their relentless harrying and defensive discipline stymied Ukraine. "We've talked about leaving a legacy from this tournament," said McAuley. "Football's a romantic game, and sometimes the underdogs come through." The class of '82 would recognise that better than anybody. "Bring on Germany!" urged 1982 hero Whiteside, now a television pundit. He is not the only Northern Irishman who fancies that O'Neill's side are not finished with writing history quite yet. (Reuters)

Commitment and heart pushing O'Neill's 2016 football class to triumph

A French court today jailed three Russian football supporters for up to two years for their role in violence in Marseille before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match. 
 
Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police in southern France on Tuesday after the pitched battles which left more than 30 people injured. 
 
Yerunov, 29, who is supporters&#39; liaison officer at Lokomotiv Moscow according to the club&#39;s website, received the longest prison sentence of 24 months. 
 
He admitted he was at the scene of an attack on an English supporter who was left in a critical state after being beaten around the head with an iron bar. He denied being responsible. 
 
&quot;I apologise. I recognise that I was there but I didn&#39;t hit anyone. My hands are clean,&quot; he told the court. 
 
Gorbachev, who leads a supporters&#39; club at Russian second division club Arsenal Tula, was jailed for 18 months. 
 
Morozov, 28, received the shortest sentence of 12 months. 
 
Prosecutor Andre Ribe described the Russians&#39; behaviour in the chaotic scenes in Marseille on Saturday: &quot;It was a hunt. They ran off together, staying in a group and keeping enough energy for what they call &#39;the fight&#39;.&quot; 
(AFP)

Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police on Tuesday

A French court today jailed three Russian football supporters for up to two years for their role in violence in Marseille before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match. Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police in southern France on Tuesday after the pitched battles which left more than 30 people injured. Yerunov, 29, who is supporters' liaison officer at Lokomotiv Moscow according to the club's website, received the longest prison sentence of 24 months. He admitted he was at the scene of an attack on an English supporter who was left in a critical state after being beaten around the head with an iron bar. He denied being responsible. "I apologise. I recognise that I was there but I didn't hit anyone. My hands are clean," he told the court. Gorbachev, who leads a supporters' club at Russian second division club Arsenal Tula, was jailed for 18 months. Morozov, 28, received the shortest sentence of 12 months. Prosecutor Andre Ribe described the Russians' behaviour in the chaotic scenes in Marseille on Saturday: "It was a hunt. They ran off together, staying in a group and keeping enough energy for what they call 'the fight'." (AFP)

Russian fans jailed for up to 2 years for Euro 2016 violence

Liverpool&#39;s Daniel Sturridge struck deep into stoppage time to hand England a 2-1 win over rivals Wales to move top of Euro 2016 Group B in Lens on today. 
 
Real Madrid star Gareth Bale&#39;s free-kick from 35 metres was helped into his own net by England goalkeeper Joe Hart to give Wales the lead just before the break. 
 
However, after being introduced at half-time, substitutes Jamie Vardy and Sturridge turned the match around to put England on course for the last 16. 
(AFP)

Substitutes Vardy and Sturridge turned the match around to give England the win

Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge struck deep into stoppage time to hand England a 2-1 win over rivals Wales to move top of Euro 2016 Group B in Lens on today. Real Madrid star Gareth Bale's free-kick from 35 metres was helped into his own net by England goalkeeper Joe Hart to give Wales the lead just before the break. However, after being introduced at half-time, substitutes Jamie Vardy and Sturridge turned the match around to put England on course for the last 16. (AFP)

England beat Wales 2-1 at Euro 2016 to top Group B

Portugal found an unlikely hero as Eder&#39;s thunderous finish deep into extra time secured their first European Championship title after they overcame the early loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to snatch a 1-0 victory over hosts France on Sunday. 
 
The substitute picked the perfect time to score his first competitive goal for his country, marauding forward before letting fly with a bullet shot from 25 metres in the 109th minute. 
 
It was a magic moment for the 28-year-old who plays for French club Lille and delivered a devastating knockout blow to decide a tight and cagey encounter. 
 
&quot;It was amazing,&quot; the striker told reporters. &quot;We fought with immense strength, we were amazing. I think we deserve this title due to the work we put in, all the players and the staff.&quot; 
 
It was a cruel outcome for Didier Deschamps&#39; side, who had dominated the match and squandered a number of chances, in front of their devastated home support, who arrived at the Stade de France hoping to celebrate a third European crown. 
 
The trophy was lifted triumphantly by Ronaldo, who broke down in tears at the final whistle after his own game had come to a frustrating end with 24 minutes on the clock when he cried as he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher with a knee injury.
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Proud of my team. Proud of my country. Make them believe. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JustDoIt?src=hash">#JustDoIt</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zt2iqmDPZQ">pic.twitter.com/Zt2iqmDPZQ</a>
&mdash; Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cristiano/status/752278540301787137">July 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
 
So much of the build-up had focused on Ronaldo and his hopes of crowning a glittering career with the only achievement missing from his CV, a piece of international silverware. 
 
The script had been written for him to produce a performance to match his status as one of the game&#39;s truly great talents, but he had to settle for a back-stage role after Dimitri Payet&#39;s challenge left him in a heap on the floor. 
 
It was not how he would have envisaged his evening panning out, but having been part of the Portugal side that were stunned in the final as hosts by Greece in 2004, he celebrated wildly with his teammates as ticker tape rained down from the rafters. 
 
Debilitating defeat 
 
For France it was a debilitating defeat after they had come into the match as heavy favourites and hoping to lift the spirits of a nation still recovering from last November&#39;s attacks in Paris. 
 
&quot;We missed a chance, maybe not a unique chance, but a great chance to become European champions,&quot; Deschamps said. 
 
&quot;Our disappointment is immense and will take time to digest. We won together, we suffered together and we lost together. It would have been magnificent to offer this trophy to our supporters, here at home.&quot; 
 
For the much of the match, there had looked like being only one winner as France began with early attacking intent, fuelled by the bullish presence and charging runs of Moussa Sissoko in midfield. 
 
His 34th-minute shot was well-parried by Portugal keeper Rui Patricio, but by that point the match had settled into a pattern of France probing and pushing but struggling to break down their more defensively-minded opponents. 
 
Without Ronaldo, Portugal seemed in no hurry to rush the ball forward, happy to see the game descend into a cagey, tactical battle. 
 
They had a scare, however, in the 67th minute when Kingsley Coman&#39;s cross found Antoine Griezmann unmarked six metres from goal, only for the tournament&#39;s top scorer to head a golden opportunity over. 
 
Minutes later, Olivier Giroud, fed by sprightly substitute Coman, forced a diving save from Patricio, who then parried away a pile-driver from Sissoko as France turned the screw. 
 
France&#39;s best chance of the night arrived in stoppage time when substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac turned his marker inside out before scuffing a shot past the keeper and against the post, with the ball bouncing across the face of goal and then out of harm&#39;s way. 
 
While Portugal continued to sit back in extra time, they had the better chances with Eder&#39;s header parried by Hugo Lloris and Raphael Guerreiro striking the crossbar with a free kick before Eder&#39;s moment of magic. 
 
(Reuters)

Portugal win a major international tournament for the first time. Ronaldo is carried off with a hurt knee after 24 minutes

Portugal found an unlikely hero as Eder's thunderous finish deep into extra time secured their first European Championship title after they overcame the early loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to snatch a 1-0 victory over hosts France on Sunday. The substitute picked the perfect time to score his first competitive goal for his country, marauding forward before letting fly with a bullet shot from 25 metres in the 109th minute. It was a magic moment for the 28-year-old who plays for French club Lille and delivered a devastating knockout blow to decide a tight and cagey encounter. "It was amazing," the striker told reporters. "We fought with immense strength, we were amazing. I think we deserve this title due to the work we put in, all the players and the staff." It was a cruel outcome for Didier Deschamps' side, who had dominated the match and squandered a number of chances, in front of their devastated home support, who arrived at the Stade de France hoping to celebrate a third European crown. The trophy was lifted triumphantly by Ronaldo, who broke down in tears at the final whistle after his own game had come to a frustrating end with 24 minutes on the clock when he cried as he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher with a knee injury. Proud of my team. Proud of my country. Make them believe. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/Zt2iqmDPZQ — Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) July 10, 2016 So much of the build-up had focused on Ronaldo and his hopes of crowning a glittering career with the only achievement missing from his CV, a piece of international silverware. The script had been written for him to produce a performance to match his status as one of the game's truly great talents, but he had to settle for a back-stage role after Dimitri Payet's challenge left him in a heap on the floor. It was not how he would have envisaged his evening panning out, but having been part of the Portugal side that were stunned in the final as hosts by Greece in 2004, he celebrated wildly with his teammates as ticker tape rained down from the rafters. Debilitating defeat For France it was a debilitating defeat after they had come into the match as heavy favourites and hoping to lift the spirits of a nation still recovering from last November's attacks in Paris. "We missed a chance, maybe not a unique chance, but a great chance to become European champions," Deschamps said. "Our disappointment is immense and will take time to digest. We won together, we suffered together and we lost together. It would have been magnificent to offer this trophy to our supporters, here at home." For the much of the match, there had looked like being only one winner as France began with early attacking intent, fuelled by the bullish presence and charging runs of Moussa Sissoko in midfield. His 34th-minute shot was well-parried by Portugal keeper Rui Patricio, but by that point the match had settled into a pattern of France probing and pushing but struggling to break down their more defensively-minded opponents. Without Ronaldo, Portugal seemed in no hurry to rush the ball forward, happy to see the game descend into a cagey, tactical battle. They had a scare, however, in the 67th minute when Kingsley Coman's cross found Antoine Griezmann unmarked six metres from goal, only for the tournament's top scorer to head a golden opportunity over. Minutes later, Olivier Giroud, fed by sprightly substitute Coman, forced a diving save from Patricio, who then parried away a pile-driver from Sissoko as France turned the screw. France's best chance of the night arrived in stoppage time when substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac turned his marker inside out before scuffing a shot past the keeper and against the post, with the ball bouncing across the face of goal and then out of harm's way. While Portugal continued to sit back in extra time, they had the better chances with Eder's header parried by Hugo Lloris and Raphael Guerreiro striking the crossbar with a free kick before Eder's moment of magic. (Reuters)

Euro final: Portugal stun France 1-0 with late Eder strike

Cristiano Ronaldo scored one goal and inadvertently set up the other as Portugal ground out a 2-0 win over Wales on Wednesday to march into the Euro 2016 final. 
 
The Portuguese superstar, who has had to soak up a lot of criticism for a lacklustre tournament by his high standards, majestically powered in a 50th-minute header to put his side in front. 
 
The goal, his third in the tournament, equalled Michel Platini&#39;s record of nine in European Championship finals. 
 
Ronaldo also saw his shot turned in by Nani for a second goal in the 53rd minute, ending Wales&#39; remarkable run at their first major finals since 1958. 
 
Portugal, who had not won a single game in the tournament over 90 minutes, next meet hosts France or Germany who play their semi-final on Thursday. 
 
&quot;I hope that after the final we will be smiling and that it will be tears of joy in the end,&quot; said Ronaldo who wept after his team lost to surprise packages Greece in the 2004 final. 
 
&quot;I have always said my dream was to win a trophy with Portugal. We are closer to doing it and I believe we will win,&quot; he told reporters after coming out on top in his battle with Real Madrid team mate Gareth Bale. 
 
Wales kept their opponents quiet in the first half but could not recover the two-goal deficit, ending a scintillating run that has captivated millions back home and turned their players into heroes. 
 
The Welsh, with midfielder Aaron Ramsey suspended and replaced by Leicester City&#39;s Premier League winner Andy King, had an early spell of possession but a tight Portugal defence kept them at bay. 
 
First chance 
 
Portugal, bidding to reach their first Euro final since losing on home soil 12 years ago, had their first chance after a quarter of an hour following a low drive by Joao Mario. 
 
Wales responded as Joe Ledley found Bale with a low corner and the forward fired over the bar. 
 
The Welsh, playing their first major tournament semi-final, did not suffer from stage fright with their back line, supported by midfielders Ledley and Joe Allen, disciplined and compact. 
 
In a cagey first half Portugal struggled to find Ronaldo, opting for long crosses into the box that were easy pickings for central defender James Collins. 
 
Portugal injected some urgency after the break, pressing high up the field. 
 
It paid off instantly with a corner in the 50th minute that Raphael Guerreiro floated in towards the far post where Ronaldo climbed high above two defenders to score. 
 
Portugal doubled the lead when Nani slid in to connect with Ronaldo&#39;s mishit shot, netting his own third goal of Euro 2016. 
 
Wales were lucky not to concede more goals late in the game as Portugal, now unbeaten in 13 competitive matches, continued to dream of a maiden top-notch trophy. 
 
&quot;We are massively disappointed obviously but we have given everything on and off the pitch,&quot; said Wales talisman Bale. &quot;We tried our hardest to get back in the game, they shut up shop well but we have no regrets.&nbsp;We are very proud. We will pick ourselves up. Nobody expected us to get this far but we did.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Portugal will next meet France or Germany, who play their semi-finals today

Cristiano Ronaldo scored one goal and inadvertently set up the other as Portugal ground out a 2-0 win over Wales on Wednesday to march into the Euro 2016 final. The Portuguese superstar, who has had to soak up a lot of criticism for a lacklustre tournament by his high standards, majestically powered in a 50th-minute header to put his side in front. The goal, his third in the tournament, equalled Michel Platini's record of nine in European Championship finals. Ronaldo also saw his shot turned in by Nani for a second goal in the 53rd minute, ending Wales' remarkable run at their first major finals since 1958. Portugal, who had not won a single game in the tournament over 90 minutes, next meet hosts France or Germany who play their semi-final on Thursday. "I hope that after the final we will be smiling and that it will be tears of joy in the end," said Ronaldo who wept after his team lost to surprise packages Greece in the 2004 final. "I have always said my dream was to win a trophy with Portugal. We are closer to doing it and I believe we will win," he told reporters after coming out on top in his battle with Real Madrid team mate Gareth Bale. Wales kept their opponents quiet in the first half but could not recover the two-goal deficit, ending a scintillating run that has captivated millions back home and turned their players into heroes. The Welsh, with midfielder Aaron Ramsey suspended and replaced by Leicester City's Premier League winner Andy King, had an early spell of possession but a tight Portugal defence kept them at bay. First chance Portugal, bidding to reach their first Euro final since losing on home soil 12 years ago, had their first chance after a quarter of an hour following a low drive by Joao Mario. Wales responded as Joe Ledley found Bale with a low corner and the forward fired over the bar. The Welsh, playing their first major tournament semi-final, did not suffer from stage fright with their back line, supported by midfielders Ledley and Joe Allen, disciplined and compact. In a cagey first half Portugal struggled to find Ronaldo, opting for long crosses into the box that were easy pickings for central defender James Collins. Portugal injected some urgency after the break, pressing high up the field. It paid off instantly with a corner in the 50th minute that Raphael Guerreiro floated in towards the far post where Ronaldo climbed high above two defenders to score. Portugal doubled the lead when Nani slid in to connect with Ronaldo's mishit shot, netting his own third goal of Euro 2016. Wales were lucky not to concede more goals late in the game as Portugal, now unbeaten in 13 competitive matches, continued to dream of a maiden top-notch trophy. "We are massively disappointed obviously but we have given everything on and off the pitch," said Wales talisman Bale. "We tried our hardest to get back in the game, they shut up shop well but we have no regrets. We are very proud. We will pick ourselves up. Nobody expected us to get this far but we did." (Reuters)

Ronaldo ends Wales' dream run as Portugal marches into Euro final

England&#39;s new manager Sam Allardyce vowed today to break the psychological barrier hindering performance of the country&#39;s big-name players at international level. 
 
Allardyce also revealed he has not yet made a decision on who will captain England, which leaves the Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney, heavily criticised for his performances at Euro 2016, sweating on whether he will retain the armband. 
 
England&#39;s campaign at last month&#39;s European Championships under predecessor Roy Hodgson culminated in a humiliating exit to Iceland in the last 16, despite boasting a squad packed with Premier League talent. Hodgson quickly quit. 
 
Allardyce, speaking at his first press conference at St George&rsquo;s Park following his appointment, will seek to address that faulty mindset as England bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 
 
&quot;The pressure on players at international level we will be looking at in depth,&quot; said the 61-year-old Englishman, nicknamed &#39;Big Sam&#39;, who lost out to Steve McClaren for the England job 10 years ago. 
 
&quot;I will exploit all areas for the benefit of the players. The key element is to get among the staff in place and talk about the programme going forward, particularly psychologically. 
 
&quot;It&rsquo;s not about potential now. It&rsquo;s about standing up and being counted even though some of those experiences have been bitter. Potential is a word I don&rsquo;t like to use too much. You want the actual quality of the player producing his best immediately.&quot; 
 
&quot;I think this group is very experienced and going forward can be producing more performances and better results. It&rsquo;s not just about qualifying, but going as far as we can.&quot; 
 
It is anticipated that Allardyce, a former manager of many clubs including Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and most recently Sunderland, will not make a call on Rooney&#39;s captaincy until the players join up for the World Cup qualifier with Slovakia on September 4. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s far too early to make predictions in that area,&quot; Allardyce said, when asked if Rooney would continue as skipper. &quot;I will leave that (the captaincy) until we get together and plan for the qualifiers.&quot; 
 
Allardyce acknowledges England job as &#39;biggest challenge&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Allardyce, who guided Sunderland to Premier League last season having taken over with them in a desperate position, has never won a major trophy and acknowledged the England job is the &quot;biggest challenge&quot; of his managerial career. 
 
Allardyce believes, however, he has the right credentials for the position and remains confident the &quot;Three Lions&quot; will progress under his stewardship. 
 
&quot;This will be the greatest challenge for me in my long career and hopefully I will be as successful as I have in the rest of my career,&quot; said the man who has faced criticism down the years for long-ball football. 
 
Jose Mourinho famously once described Allardyce&#39;s football as &quot;19th century&quot;. 
 
&quot;I can turn things around pretty quickly. I can create a successful journey and that starts with us all pulling together,&quot; added Allardyce. 
 
&quot;What is my style? Pragmatic. Choosing styles and systems depends on who we are playing. My coaching technique is to win a football match, home or away, whether we are at Wembley or not, and adapt to the style we play to the opposition.&quot; 
 
&quot;I think the bonding of the team is exceptionally important. A game of football is to be enjoyed.&quot; 
 
Allardyce confirmed Sammy Lee, his former assistant when he was in charge of Bolton Wanderers, will become part of his backroom staff. 
 
He also called for the introduction of a winter break in the Premier League to help boost the national team&rsquo;s flagging fortunes. 
 
&quot;I have been an advocate of that for 10 years or more. The demand on players is enormous,&quot; he explained. 
 
&quot;The Premier League is the best league in the world so demand has to be on the players. It would help the Premier League and us at international level if we could try and achieve it.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Allardyce will seek to address that faulty mindset as England bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia

England's new manager Sam Allardyce vowed today to break the psychological barrier hindering performance of the country's big-name players at international level. Allardyce also revealed he has not yet made a decision on who will captain England, which leaves the Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney, heavily criticised for his performances at Euro 2016, sweating on whether he will retain the armband. England's campaign at last month's European Championships under predecessor Roy Hodgson culminated in a humiliating exit to Iceland in the last 16, despite boasting a squad packed with Premier League talent. Hodgson quickly quit. Allardyce, speaking at his first press conference at St George’s Park following his appointment, will seek to address that faulty mindset as England bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. "The pressure on players at international level we will be looking at in depth," said the 61-year-old Englishman, nicknamed 'Big Sam', who lost out to Steve McClaren for the England job 10 years ago. "I will exploit all areas for the benefit of the players. The key element is to get among the staff in place and talk about the programme going forward, particularly psychologically. "It’s not about potential now. It’s about standing up and being counted even though some of those experiences have been bitter. Potential is a word I don’t like to use too much. You want the actual quality of the player producing his best immediately." "I think this group is very experienced and going forward can be producing more performances and better results. It’s not just about qualifying, but going as far as we can." It is anticipated that Allardyce, a former manager of many clubs including Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and most recently Sunderland, will not make a call on Rooney's captaincy until the players join up for the World Cup qualifier with Slovakia on September 4. "That's far too early to make predictions in that area," Allardyce said, when asked if Rooney would continue as skipper. "I will leave that (the captaincy) until we get together and plan for the qualifiers." Allardyce acknowledges England job as 'biggest challenge' Allardyce, who guided Sunderland to Premier League last season having taken over with them in a desperate position, has never won a major trophy and acknowledged the England job is the "biggest challenge" of his managerial career. Allardyce believes, however, he has the right credentials for the position and remains confident the "Three Lions" will progress under his stewardship. "This will be the greatest challenge for me in my long career and hopefully I will be as successful as I have in the rest of my career," said the man who has faced criticism down the years for long-ball football. Jose Mourinho famously once described Allardyce's football as "19th century". "I can turn things around pretty quickly. I can create a successful journey and that starts with us all pulling together," added Allardyce. "What is my style? Pragmatic. Choosing styles and systems depends on who we are playing. My coaching technique is to win a football match, home or away, whether we are at Wembley or not, and adapt to the style we play to the opposition." "I think the bonding of the team is exceptionally important. A game of football is to be enjoyed." Allardyce confirmed Sammy Lee, his former assistant when he was in charge of Bolton Wanderers, will become part of his backroom staff. He also called for the introduction of a winter break in the Premier League to help boost the national team’s flagging fortunes. "I have been an advocate of that for 10 years or more. The demand on players is enormous," he explained. "The Premier League is the best league in the world so demand has to be on the players. It would help the Premier League and us at international level if we could try and achieve it." (AFP)

New boss Sam Allardyce vows to improve England team mentality

Forget Italy&#39;s image of catenaccio (or &quot;door chain defence&quot;). Antonio Conte&rsquo;s Italy showed in a 2-0 defeat of Spain at Euro 2016 on Monday that they can do unchained attacking football too. 
 
The Azzurri, who will take on world champions Germany in a fascinating quarter-final on Saturday, had promised they would not be afraid to go forward against Spain. 
 
They certainly kept to their word, creating scores of opportunities and forcing David De Gea to make several superb saves. 
 
Italy&rsquo;s defensive performance were outstanding, the back three of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli shutting down the Spanish forwards and comfortably cutting the wingers&rsquo; crosses throughout. 
 
&ldquo;It was definitely a great performance. I&rsquo;m pleased because this is a team who play football,&rdquo; said coach Conte, who was in the last Italian team to beat Spain in a competitive game at the 1994 World Cup. 
 
&ldquo;People think of Italy as a defensive side, but it&rsquo;s not the case. I don&rsquo;t coach players to counter attack. We are very well organised defensively but we are also organised going forward.&rdquo; 
 
Italy wasted several opportunities but their superiority in midfield, where they always field five players in a 3-5-2 formation, caused Spain plenty of trouble. 
 
The disciplined football was possible because the Azzurri have embraced a club culture, Conte said. 
 
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always said since I took over that the only route forward to achieve some semblance of success, was to try to be a club,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;To try to be a team who play a league season. &ldquo;There is no point in hiding the fact that it&rsquo;s not the rosiest period in terms of football talent for Italy so we need to be a team from every perspective.&rdquo; 
 
Man-of-the-match Bonucci added: &ldquo;We found a national team that has no top talents and we had to create a team, with a game plan, and Conte has been our leader.&quot; 
 
Monday&rsquo;s victory was all the sweeter for Italy since it came four years after they were humbled 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final. 
 
&ldquo;We had revenge on our minds and today we had something extra. We played well, we had positive feelings and so much willingness to do well,&quot; said Chiellini who scored Italy&rsquo;s first in the opening half before Graziano Pelle added a late second. 
 
&quot;After years of Spain dominating, we have been able to get some revenge. This is just the beginning.&rdquo; 
 
Conte may have a midfield problem against Germany, however, since Daniele De Rossi sustained a hip injury and his replacement Thiago Motta, picked up a yellow card and will be suspended. 
 
(Reuters)

The Italians will play Germany in the quarter-finals on Saturday

Forget Italy's image of catenaccio (or "door chain defence"). Antonio Conte’s Italy showed in a 2-0 defeat of Spain at Euro 2016 on Monday that they can do unchained attacking football too. The Azzurri, who will take on world champions Germany in a fascinating quarter-final on Saturday, had promised they would not be afraid to go forward against Spain. They certainly kept to their word, creating scores of opportunities and forcing David De Gea to make several superb saves. Italy’s defensive performance were outstanding, the back three of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli shutting down the Spanish forwards and comfortably cutting the wingers’ crosses throughout. “It was definitely a great performance. I’m pleased because this is a team who play football,” said coach Conte, who was in the last Italian team to beat Spain in a competitive game at the 1994 World Cup. “People think of Italy as a defensive side, but it’s not the case. I don’t coach players to counter attack. We are very well organised defensively but we are also organised going forward.” Italy wasted several opportunities but their superiority in midfield, where they always field five players in a 3-5-2 formation, caused Spain plenty of trouble. The disciplined football was possible because the Azzurri have embraced a club culture, Conte said. “I’ve always said since I took over that the only route forward to achieve some semblance of success, was to try to be a club,” he said. “To try to be a team who play a league season. “There is no point in hiding the fact that it’s not the rosiest period in terms of football talent for Italy so we need to be a team from every perspective.” Man-of-the-match Bonucci added: “We found a national team that has no top talents and we had to create a team, with a game plan, and Conte has been our leader." Monday’s victory was all the sweeter for Italy since it came four years after they were humbled 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final. “We had revenge on our minds and today we had something extra. We played well, we had positive feelings and so much willingness to do well," said Chiellini who scored Italy’s first in the opening half before Graziano Pelle added a late second. "After years of Spain dominating, we have been able to get some revenge. This is just the beginning.” Conte may have a midfield problem against Germany, however, since Daniele De Rossi sustained a hip injury and his replacement Thiago Motta, picked up a yellow card and will be suspended. (Reuters)

Italy leave defending behind, put two past Spain

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