EURO HISTORY 2012: How Spain won in Poland and Ukraine
** Superb Spain fashioned football history after demolishing luckless Italy 4-0 at the climax of Euro 2012 in Kiev.
Victory established Spain, also World Cup-holders, as the only nation ever to raise three major trophies in a row and the only one ever to retain the European title. This was also the biggest victory in the 52-year history of the final.
Goals from David Silva and Jordi Alba in the first half then from substitutes Fernando Torres and Juan Mata in the second also offered father-figure Vicente Del Bosque a personal footnote in history: he was the first coach to win FIFA World Cup, European Championship and UEFA Champions League.
Spain’s magnificence was icing on the tournament cake for UEFA though it was disappointing for the co-hosts that neither Poland and Ukraine made it out of the group stage.
They had opened up in Group C, despite missing injured top scorer David Villa, with a 1-1 draw against Italy. Fernando Torres scored twice in a 4-0 win over the Irish Republic before a late strike from substitute Jesus Navas saw off Croatia. Italy, for whom veteran playmaker Andrea Pirlo was majestic, followed Spain through as runners-up.
England’s campaign, under newly-arrived manager Roy Hodgson, ended in a penalties defeat by Italy in the quarter-finals. The Azzurri then beat Germany 2-1 in the semi-finals with an inspirational display from veteran schemer Andrea Pirlo.
Group A
Czech Rep 3 2 0 1 4 5 6
Greece 3 1 1 1 3 3 4
Russia 3 1 1 1 5 3 4
Poland 3 0 2 1 2 3 2
Group B
Germany 3 3 0 0 5 2 9
Portugal 3 2 0 1 5 4 6
Denmark 3 1 0 2 4 5 3
Holland 3 0 0 3 2 5 0
Group C
Spain 3 2 1 0 6 1 7
Italy 3 1 2 0 4 2 5
Croatia 3 1 1 1 4 3 4
Rep. Ireland 3 0 0 3 1 9 0
Group D
England 3 2 1 0 5 3 7
France 3 1 1 1 3 3 4
Ukraine 3 1 0 2 2 4 3
Sweden 3 1 0 2 9 5 3
Quarter-finals
Czech Republic 0 Portugal 1
Germany 4 Greece 2
Spain 2 France 0
Italy 0 England 0 (Italy 4-2 on pens)
Semi-finals
Spain 0 Portugal 0 (Spain 4-2 on pens)
Germany 1 Italy 2
Final (Olympic Stadium, Kiev)
Spain 4 (Silva 14, Jordi Alba 41, Torres 84, Mata 88)
Italy 0
HT: 2-0. Att: 63,170. Ref: Proenca (Portugal)
Spain: Casillas – Arbeloa, Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba – Busquets, Xabi Alonso – Silva (Pedro 59), Xavi, Fabregas (Torres 75), Iniesta (Mata 87). Coach: Del Bosque.
Italy: Buffon – Abate, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini (Balzaretti 21) – Pirlo – Marchisio, Montolivo (Thiago Motta 57), De Rossi – Balotelli, Cassano (Di Natale 46). Coach: Prandelli.
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