Video: Germany are U 19 euro Champions

The senior team can find some consolation in this.The U 19's beat Italy 3 -1 and won the championships for the first time since 1992.That rounds up the euro championships for now - unless they are planning to have a tournament for even younger players.The technical observers for the games - Zdeněk Sivek of the Czech Republic and Northern Ireland's Roy Millar - have gathered some data and you can read that here if interested.
Things like..."Everyone now plays with a back four; gone are the days when you had three at the back or man-marking and the back four gives you more solutions whether the opposition play with one or two strikers," he said. "Having two screening midfielders who don't go beyond the ball allows the full-backs to attack wide yet still leaves you secure at the back. Most sides will now play with a lone striker, which is very effective, and usually three interchangeable players behind him. We've seen the importance of wingers coming back into the game in that position, so it's been very interesting."

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Under 19 Euro semifinalists decided

Germany,Hungary,Italy and the Czech Republic have entered the semis of the competition.
Italy won a 7 goal thriller against the Czech Republic despite twice surrendering the advantage.England finally found their scoring touch to defeat Greece 3-0 but it was too little too late.They crashed out and so did the defending champs Spain.
All the latest here..

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Best goal of Euro 2008

Wesley Sneijder's goal against France has been officially declared the best goal of this EC.He got 40% of the votes Nihat's goal against the Czech Republic came second with 14% and Arshavin’s goal against Sweden came third with 12%.All this is on the UEFA website here...

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XAVI TOP EURO 2008 STAR

Spain midfielder Xavi has been named the best player at Euro 2008.

The 28-year-old Barcelona player, the heartbeat of Spain's midfield during the tournament, was voted the Castrol player of the tournament by a nine-strong panel of UEFA's technical experts.

There was no place for Cristiano Ronaldo in the 23-man squad of the tournament however.

The squad did include Manchester United keeper Edwin van der Sar, Michael Ballack and Jose Bosingwa from Chelsea, Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas, Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, and Spurs-bound midfielder Luka Modric.

UEFA technical director Andy Roxburgh explained Ronaldo's absence was due to the fact Portugal did not progress further in the tournament.

Roxburgh said: This is entirely about the tournament and not about reputations or how well you started.

"Of course he was mentioned - and if Portugal had gone further, there's no argument he has been in this group because he's a fantastic player.

"He was in our Champions League all-star squad for the season, and the beginning of the tournament he threatened he was going to be in this one.

"But then it came abruptly to an end. When it comes to a squad of the tournament, those that go to semis and final dominate things like this."

Nine of the 23 players in the squad of the tournament were Spanish, but Roxburgh said Xavi stood out.

He added: "We think he epitomised the Spanish style of play - he was extremely influential.

"We are not all that surprised, because for more than a decade now the top youth teams in Europe have been Spanish and we have been watching Xavi and others in this squad from a very young age.

"Torres scored the winner in a youth final, and Fabregas was the star of the under-17s. In this tournament, Fabregas' influence in the periods when he did play was extremely significant."

Roxburgh added that Torres has proved himself one of the top players in Europe.

"Clearly he's a match-winner - he's a fantastic front player - very fast, powerful, brave and he's a finisher. His movement is excellent as well," said Roxburgh.

"To say anyone is the best player in the world is a difficult one, but he is one of the big talents we have in European football."

He also singled out Germany captain Ballack for praise.

"Ballack was a major influence on Germany all the way to the final and he scored the best set-play goal of the competition with his free-kick against Austria," said Roxburgh.

SQUAD OF THE TOURNAMENT

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands).

Defenders: Bosingwa (Portugal), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Carlos Marchena (Spain), Pepe (Portugal), Carles Puyol (Spain), Yuri Zhirkov (Russia).

Midfielders: Hamit Altıntop (Turkey), Luka Modrić (Croatia), Marcos Senna (Spain), Xavi Hernández (Spain), Konstantin Zyryanov (Russia), Michael Ballack (Germany), Cesc Fàbregas (Spain), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Lukas Podolski (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands).

Forwards: Andrei Arshavin (Russia), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Russia), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain).

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Viva Espana: El Jogo Bonito is alive

I have tears of joy. Watching Spain get over their mental block against their more heralded European rivals, doing it their way, playing beautiful, attacking soccer and finally winning what was rightfully theirs. There is a God occasionally and he chose the right time to be munificent.




There was Ballack his face streaked with congealed blood and the nonplussed Metzelder and Mertesacker, their faces frozen in disbelief and dismay, as they contemplated another championship without a title. Ballack is now the eternal stepchild, having lost out on the World Cup, Premiership, Champions League, and now the Euro.

It was Germany that came out in the first 20 minutes looking sharper and crisper as the Spanish backpedaled to keep the ball away from Podolski and Klose. But the defense gained in confidence as they won some hard fought 50-50 tackles. And slowly Spanish superiority in the midfield exerted itself. It was El Nino who created the best chance as he went up against Metzleder and guided a header which fortuitously hit the goal post after beating Lehmann and bounced out of harm's way. Germany was suddenly the team with their backs against the wall.

As it was with Turkey, Philip Lahm again donned the mantle of scapegoat as he went toe to toe with Torres, and got blistered. Torres turned the corner and then toed the ball past Jens Lehmann who over committed himself, telegraphing the little faith he had in his defenders. It was the 32nd minute and the Spanish were ascendant. There was Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas, and Ramos stringing together fantastic passes and relying on flicks, sleight of foot, and peripheral vision to tease and torment the Germans.



Spain should have gone about three goals up as Sergio Ramos's header was parried out by Lehmann, Senna flashing a nanosecond late following a beautiful one- two with Iniesta heading down a cross from Silva across goal, and Ramos whistling a shot just past the far post.

Viva Espana and congratulations to them. We will see them again. And its onwards full speed for Aragones boys to the World Cup.

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Finals jinx still haunting Ballack

Michael Ballack suffered yet another final's heartbreak as Germany lost the EURO 2008 final match to Spain on Sunday.



The Germany captain had a long and bitter history with decisive matches, started back in 2002, when he was still playing for Bayer Leverkusen.

Leverkusen needed only a draw in the last game of the Bundesliga but Ballack, who was making his last appearance before moving to Bayern Munich, converted the ball into his own net and denied his side a precious title.

The instrumental midfielder suffered another setback later in the same season as Leverkusen lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid thanks to a miraculous goal from Zinedine Zidane.

In the same year, Ballack could have ended the jinx as Germany reached the World Cup final but he missed the game because of suspension.

Finals' ghosts revisited Ballack on three occasions in 2008.

His club, Chelsea, lost the Premiership title to Manchester United in the last matchday before failing to win the Champions League title later after defeat on penalties to the same side.

And Germany's defeat to Spain the EURO 2008 finals came only to wrap up Ballack's misery.

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The graveyard of defenders

Marcos Senna is being celebrated as a find, a player finally giving teeth to the much maligned Spanish defence, a noteworthy ally in its potent attack. But he is in a minority because this Euro shone a spotlight on the number of flatfooted defenses which became red meat for swift counter attacks. Teams could not hold onto leads. Goals were given up by defenders without thought. And attacks were sustained by the inability of the defenders to clear the ball effectively. In basketball terms, the advantage lay with the team making all the offensive rebounds.

Many examples abound, Gianluca Zambrotta's interception of a Razvan Rat long ball which he mishit into Adrian Mutu's direction that the Romanian striker gobbled up gratefully. Or Sergio Ramos whose problems staying upright led to Zlatan Ibrahamovic scoring a goal. In between we were treated to Florent Malouda defending in vain against Dirk Kuyt's goal. Or Philip Lahm's atrocious defending against Sabri that led to Semih equalizing for Turkey. The Czech defence kept Nihat onside enabling him to score the game winner. These defensive lapses became de riguer and costly to the team's chances.

Managers discovered that experience was an over rated attribute and that age and attrition had sapped players of the quick reflexes resulting in porous defenses breached repeatedly by a fast counterattacking style. Many teams too were forced to employ a makeshift defense because of injuries to their first line.

The French relied on Lilian Thuram and Willy Sagnol, players brought back from retirement, which saw the Dutch shredding them in one of France's worst defeats. In turn, the Dutch led by Andre Ooijer and Wilfred Bouma at the back, slowed down by injuries and age, were no match for Arshavin and company. Italy in Cannavaro's absence patched its defense pairing the 36 year old Christian Panucci with the much younger Andre Barzagli or Giorgio Chiellini at the center, to ultimately no avail. The Czech Republic's defensive line boasted 242 caps, a lifetime of experience which counted for nought as the Turkey embarassed them in the match of Euro 2008. The Turks repeated their performance against Croatia, another team with a veteran defense, with Dario Simic one shy of a century of caps for his country and Robert Kovac and Josip Simunic accounting for another 143.

Spain will try and exploit a German side that has had trouble keeping the ball away from the back of the net with Croatia, Portugal, and Turkey giving plenty of heartburn. Age and injuries can slow down a defense but these are not the excuses for a German team that has a group of young defendees who should have no problems with speed or reflexes. But their team has been found wanting. Per Mertesacker and Christoph Metzelder as the sentinels in the center have looked slow and tentative. At right back Jogi Low has tinkered with Lahm, Fritz, and Friedrich but they have proved inadequate. Lahm has used his attacking prowess down the left flank effectively but his defense has been questionable. Even with Torsten Frings giving additional cover, the Germans look shaky. Given that Jens Lehmann has been having some problems with motor co-ordination, this does not bode well for a team having to stop the likes of Villa, Torres, or Guiza.

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Does Europe Need Better Scouting?

I wonder how football pundits in Europe have just discovered that there is someone called Andrei Arshavin worth watching in Russia.



A scout is someone responsible for detecting hidden talents all over the world for the intention of selecting a suitable player for his respective club.

But when those talents become visible to everyone, the scout's role simply erodes.

Arshavin has been magnificent for club and country throughout the past couple of years, but he burst onto the scene only after starring in two EURO 2008 games.

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger admitted he would have wanted to sign the Russian sensation if he was 21 or 22 years old.

The French manager went on to explain why Arshavin and Co. are only being noticed now.

"Mainly I would say that you discovered Russian players only at this tournament because you see them playing less. All the others you know."

Arshavin was named Russian Footballer of the Year in 2006, after which he sparkled for Zenit, leading them to a sensational UEFA Cup triumph last season.

The quality of the player is the fact that matters, not where he plays.
So for a genuine football follower, the dexterous striker is no emerging talent.

"It's not only me. There are many good players in my country, but people are now discovering us," said Arshavin.

The same applies to Roman Pavlyuchenko, who scored twice against England in the qualifiers, but was only discerned when goals started to flow in Austria and Switzerland.

Another EURO 2008 revelation is Holland midfielder Orlando Engelaar, who is now on the wishlist of clubs in the Premiership and the Bundesliga.

However, Engelaar is 28, he was not that impressive for the Oranje in the EURO finals, but caught attention because he played regularly.

There is no question that top competitions should introduce new faces to the world of football every now and then, but is also unfair to those who cannot get an opportunity to shine.

The 1996 competition in England was followed by an exodus of home-based Czech Republic players to top European leagues.

But what would have happened if the team failed to the EURO finals? Does that mean that the likes of Pavel Nedved, Karel Poborsky, Vladimir Smicer and others would have remained in anonymous?

A decent footballer does not have to wait so long to bare the fruits of his efforts and get a better move.

Or else UEFA should be considering the prospect of holding the competition every two years (against popular demand), so that more hidden talents could be unlocked.

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Germany v Spain preview

Glory is within touching distance for Germany and Spain as the duo contest the Euro 2008 final on Sunday evening at the Ernst-Happel Stadion in Vienna.



The European Championship showpiece promises to be an absorbing encounter with Germany's undisputed ability to dig deep when called upon set to clash against Spain's free-flowing panache.

Joachim Low's side have stuttered at times in Austria and Switzerland, emerging as runners-up in Group B following their setback against Croatia.

They demonstrated their attacking qualities with gusto to down Portugal in the quarter-finals but were forced to rely on a late, late goal to advance past a spirited Turkey.

No-nonsense



Spain, meanwhile, under the guidance of no-nonsense head coach Luis Aragones, all-but cruised through Group D before disposing of world champions Italy on penalties in the last-eight.

Russia promised to offer a sterner test, but the Spaniards proved too strong, brushing their opponents aside with a 3-0 triumph.

It will be Spain's first major final appearance since they were beaten by host nation France in the 1984 European Championship.

In the intervening period, Germany have featured in five finals, lifting the World Cup in 1990 and the European crown in 1996.

Aragones - who is set to step down as Spain boss after the final - will be desperate to finish on the most elevated of highs by ending the country's 44-year wait for international success.

However, he will have to make do without star striker David Villa, who is the current top scorer at Euro 2008 with four goals, after the Valencia forward suffered a small rupture in his right leg muscle against the Russians.

Villa out



Villa's absence paves the way for Cesc Fabregas, with the Arsenal schemer poised to make his second start of the tournament.

Fabregas, who netted the winning penalty against the Azzurri, has been in inspired form from the substitutes' bench at Euro 2008, and is likely to play off lone striker Fernando Torres as part of a five-man midfield.

Andres Iniesta and David Silva are expected to continue to operate on the wings, while Xavi will be partnered by enforcer Marcos Senna.

Carles Puyol and Carlos Marchena are set to marshal Spain's central defence in front of goalkeeper Iker Casillas with Sergio Ramos and Joan Capdevila in respective right and left-back roles.

For Germany, Low is expected to stand by his system rethink, with the disappointing Mario Gomez unlikely to be recalled to the starting XI after he was dropped following the group stages.

Clinical frontman Miroslav Klose is poised to lead the line with Chelsea's Michael Ballack to provide support from deep.

Lukas Podolski, who has netted three goals at this summer's finals, and Bastian Schweinsteiger will then occupy the flanks.

Two from three



In the centre, Low must choose two from Torsten Frings, Simon Rolfes and Thomas Hitzlsperger as his side's holding men.

The Germany head coach will be looking for an improvement from defensive pairing Christoph Metzelder and Per Mertesacker after previously shaky displays from the duo.

Stuttgart-bound Jens Lehmann will start in goal, while semi-final saviour Philipp Lahm and right-back Arne Friedrich will complete the back-line.

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Spain outclass Russia to reach EURO final

Spain moved a step closer to losing their underachiever tag after claiming a much-deserved 3-0 victory over dark horses Russia to reach EURO 2008 final.

Three second-half goals from Xavi Hernandez, substitute Daniel Guiza and David Silva condemned Russia to a heavy defeat.

Spain, whose only major triumph is winning the European Cup in 1964, will face three-time European champions Germany in the finale on Sunday.

Chances were few and far between in a dull first-half as both sides adopted a cautious approach.

Sergio Ramos was Spain's liveliest performer, beating Yuri Zhirkov on several one-on-ones.

However, his selfishness denied him from making a notable impact as he opted to shoot goalwards whenever he had a chance to whip in crosses.

Andrei Arshavin, Russia's inspirational player, was kept at bay by Spain's solid defenders.

Russia's sole chance in the first half came in the 31st minute when Spain's in-form keeper Iker Casillas tipped away Roman Pavlyuchenko's top corner-bound curler.

Spain were dealt a major blow when their top scorer, David Villa, sustained an injury. He made way for Cesc Fabregas.



Spain's Domination

Spain were by far the better side in the second half, outplaying Russia in every aspect of the game.

They deservedly went ahead in the 50th minute when Andres Iniesta's attempted shot came across the box and found Xavi, who converted it between the legs of Igor Akinfeev.



Luis Aragones opted to take off the below-par Fernando Torres, who wasted several clear-cut chances.

He introduced Primera Liga top scorer Daniel Guiza, who scored Spain's winner against Greece in the group stage.

Guiza repaid his coach's faith in the 73rd minute when he chested Fabregas' neat chip before calmly knocking the ball over Akinfeev and into the net.



Impressive winger Silva completed the rout seven minutes from time after he controlled Fabregas cross inside the area before firing home with aplomb.

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Russia v Spain Preview

Russia and Spain meet for the second time at Euro 2008 with the stakes raised substantially and a place in the final against Germany just 90 minutes away.

The opening match in Group D saw the two go head-to-head, with Luis Aragones' men romping to a 4-1 victory thanks to David Villa's superb hat-trick.

But Russia are a very different proposition from that clash just 16 days ago, most notably because of the mesmeric displays of playmaker Andrei Arshavin.

The Zenit St Petersburg ace was suspended for the opening two fixtures of the tournament, but his return has revitalised Russia and caused a clamour for his services among Europe's leading clubs.

Arshavin has even earned comparisons with the legendary Pele and Michel Platini for the manner in which he has orchestrated victories over Sweden and Holland to reach the last four of the tournament.

Wily coach Guus Hiddink has bolstered his own reputation with Russia's progress, but has twice seen his teams fall at the semi-final hurdle on the international stage.

The Dutchman was at the helm of his home country as they were beaten by Brazil on penalties in the 1998 World Cup, before losing out to Germany at the same stage in 2002 during his stint with South Korea.

Duo suspended



Hiddink is missing two players for the game in Vienna as defender Denis Kolodin and attacking midfielder Dmitri Torbinski will not feature after receiving their second yellow cards of the tournament in the win over the Dutch.

Spain laid to rest two hoodoos of their own with their quarter-final victory against Italy, their first against the Azzurri in 88 years in competitive action, with the shoot-out triumph ending a series of five defeats in the last eight of international tournaments.

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas will be hoping for a starting berth after coming off the bench to score the winning penalty against Italy, but Aragones may well stick with Xavi.

In-demand Valencia striker Villa and Liverpool ace Fernando Torres will again be handed the task of leading Spain's attack, but Aragones also expects them to defend from the front.

He said: "I want to see them pressing the central defenders, not just shadowing them. I want proper, high-energy pressing and I want them to rob the ball from Russia's defenders as early as possible."

Villa leads the Euro 2008 goalscoring charts with four to his name, but Russia's Roman Pavlyuchenko is just one adrift on three, as is Germany striker Lukas Podolski.

Any players who have already been booked in the tournament go into the semi-final safe in the knowledge that another yellow card will not rule them out of the final, after Uefa changed the rules to expunge previous cautions from the record.

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Germany 3-2 Turkey - who will join them in the final?

Germany denied Turkey the chance to be dubbed the comeback kings once again as they emerged winners from Wednesday's EURO 2008 semi-final.




Turkey lived up to their reputation of having a never-say-die attitude when Semih Senturk made it 2-2 against Germany with four minutes to go.

But Philipp Lahm ensured the three-time European champions won't suffer an embarrassing exit when he netted the invaluable winner in stoppage time.

Despite having a heavily depleted squad, Turkey took the initiative through Ugur Boral midway through the first half.

Bastian Schweinsteiger equalized for Germany shortly after and Miroslav Klose put them ahead in the 79th minute.

Germany survived a late Turkey comeback, a usual one, to reach the final, where they will meet the winner's of Thursday's semi-final between Spain and Russia.

Surprising Start




Against all expectations, Turkey dominated the early stages of the game and threatened Jens Lehmann on several occasions.

After 12 minutes, Colin Kazim-Richards rattled the crossbar with a thunderous right-footed shot after being set up by Ayhan Akman's low cross from the right.

Turkey's numerous raids towards goal were orchestrated by lively midfielder Hamit Altintop.

Fatih Terim's men deservedly went ahead in the 22nd minute to stun the Germans.

Kazim-Richard's half-volley from a right-wing cross struck the bar and fell to Boral, whose close-range shot went through Lehmann's legs and into the net.

Turkey laid siege to Germany's area, but the attacking approach led to their defense being exposed.

Schweinsteiger brought Germany level in the 26th minute after rounding off a swift counter attack, which involved the in-form Lukas Podolski.

Podolski darted down the left flank before providing a low cross to Schweinsteiger, who neatly flicked the ball home with the outside of his right foot.


Thrilling Half




Dreadful errors from both keepers were the highlight of a thrilling second half.

Klose put Germany in front in the 79th minute when he took advantage of a mis-timed jump from Turkey keeper Rustu Recber to head home Lahm's in-swinging cross.

Turkey never gave up, an attitude that has become a trait of their players throughout the hugely exciting tournament.

Senturk, who rescued Turkey on a couple of occasions before, grabbed the equalizer four minutes from time.

Impressive full-back Sabri Sarioglu got the better of Lahm on the right before crossing to Senturk, who got ahead of Lehmann at the near post to slot home.

Lahm atoned for his mistake in a superb fashion.

In stoppage time, he exchanged passes with Thomas Hitzlsperger and burst into the area before firing into the roof of the net to send the Germans into ecstasy.

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Barcelona Make Official Arshavin Move

Barcelona have made an official approach to Zenit St Petersburg about signing Andrei Arshavin after the player made an appeal for the Catalan club to sign.




The bid was confirmed by an official from the Russian club and could see the Blaugrana jump to the front of the queue in the race for the highly-rated forward's signature.

Arshavin stated publicly that he has always been a Barça fan and that if he were to leave Zenit then his preferred destination would be Camp Nou.

Arsenal are also said to be interested, but Barcelona have now made their move and approached the player's club directly with an opening gambit, the clubs sporting director revealed.

"Barcelona has made a formal proposal to Zenit for the purchase of Arshavin," Konstantin Sarsaniya told Sovietski Sport. "We will only talk about this once Andrei returns to Zenit."

According to reports in Spain, the 27-year-old had already been brought to Barça's attention in conversations between Zenit bos Dick Advocaat and Frank Rijkaard's assistant Johan Neeskens.

The recommendation was passed on to the board and after receiving very favourable scouting reports, the Blaugrana have made their move with a bid.

Throughout the summer, the Catalan media have claimed that Pep Guardiola would only secure one more signing with a forward joining the club, but that was expected to be a lofty striker.

Emmanuel Adebayor has been strongly linked while Dimitar Berbatov has also been mentioned and Barcelona may still pursue either of them to play alongside Arshavin and Leo Messi.

There is a referendum on the current board on July 6 where fans will vote to see if Joan Laporta and his regime should stay in place and if they choose to remove him then all transfer activity at Barça will cease until at least September.

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EURO 2008 Preview: Germany vs. Turkey

European powerhouses Germany face a wretched Turkey side in the semi-finals of EURO 2008 in Basel.



Buoyant by their impressive win over Portugal in the quarters, a full-strength Germany team are considered firm favorites for the St. Jakob Park clash.

Whilst the Turkish squad is plagued by injures and suspensions, their relentless coach Fatih Terim is hopeful the team can carry on their gutsy displays.


Head-to-head:

Germany win: 11
Turkey win: 3
Draw: 3


Germany

"Maybe ten to 15 years ago they wouldn't have been capable of coming back in three consecutive matches but now they can do that," said Joachim Loew.



"They have always had talented players but when they were behind their heads tended to go down. They have learned never to give up.

"We had a setback against Croatia but have responded very well since and we have no worries about injured players. We are confident in our strengths."

Team News: The Germans have no injury concerns as Thorsten Frings should retain his place in midfield after missing the Portugal game with a broken rib.

Probable Line-up: Lehmann- Friedrich, Lahm, Metzelder, Mertesacker- Frings, Ballack, Hitzlsperger, Schweinsteiger- Podolski, Klose.

Turkey

"If you asked the eliminated coaches if they would be in my place with the injured and suspended players, or watching the semi-final from home, I suppose they would still like to be here," said Terim.



"We have courage and believe in our chances. We respect Germany but we are not afraid of them, just as we've not been afraid of any other opponent."

Team News: Terim implied that he might use reserve goalkeeper Tolga Zengin as an outfield player, due to his long list of casualties.

First-choice keeper Volkan Demirel, center-half Emre Asik and influential midfielders Arda Turan and Sanli Tuncay are suspended, while Mehmet Aurelio returns.

Joint-top scorer Nihat Kahveci and full-back Emre Gungor are also definite absentees due to injuries.

Captain Emre Belozoglu and defender Servet Cetin are major doubts, while Tumer Metin is facing a fitness battle.

Probable Line-up: Rustu- Balta, Zan, Altintop, Sabri- Topal, Aurelio, Kazim, Gokdeniz, Mevlut- Semih.

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Chelsea offer €25m for Arshavin

Chelsea tabled a €25M bid to sign Russia in-form forward Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg, claimed reports in the English press.



The Daily Star revealed on Tuesday that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich talked with Zenit bosses and made an official offer to sign the 27-year old player.

Arshavin produced a magnificent display at EURO 2008 so far, leading Russia to the semi-finals after beating hot favorites Holland 3-1.

He missed his country's first couple of games due to suspension but then played a key role in Russia's precious victories over Sweden and Holland.

The Russians will face Spain in the semi-final on Thursday.

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Sneijder rules out United talks

Wesley Sneijder has refuted claims that he is joining Manchester United from Real Madrid, stressing that he is happy at Santiago Bernabeu.



The Holland midfielder was involved in a part-exchange deal, including Real target Cristiano Ronaldo, who is eager to join the Spanish titans.

"I'd like to comment briefly on the reports and rumors that I might be going to Manchester United as part of some kind of exchange deal," Sneijder was quoted by personal website Sneijderofficial.com.

"As I've said already, when I left Ajax, all I wanted was to go to Real Madrid. They are the best club in the world.

"And now that I'm here, all I want is to win as many trophies as I can with them and wear the white shirt for as long as possible.

"The same rumors have been doing the rounds about Robinho. Well, I hope he stays too, and I hope that Cristiano Ronaldo joins us at the Bernabeu.

"In short, I'm flattered to be linked to Manchester United...but it's not happening. End of story."

Despite the Oranje's quarter-finals elimination at the hands of Russia, Sneijder enjoyed a tremendous EURO 2008 campaign, scoring some cracking goals in Austria and Switzerland.

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Ballack slams Bayern for Gomez talks

Germany skipper Michael Ballack has criticized Bayern Munich for holding talks with his compatriot Mario Gomez in the middle of the EURO 2008.



"I certainly find it odd negotiations are taking place during the European Championship. That is not good for the player and disturbs concentration," the former Bayern midfielder told Die Welt on Tuesday.

The Stuttgart striker, who produced a scintillating performance in the Bundesliga last season, scoring 19 goals, has been underachieving at the EURO and even lost his place in Germany's starting line-up.

"I have always had the view that I have done something before or after a tournament, so that you don't have to be busy with it during the tournament," added Ballack.

Gomez emerged as one of the hottest German prospects over the past couple of years and has been heavily linked with the Bavarian side.

Reports suggested that Bayern have dropped their hunt following his poor performance at the EURO but sporting manager Uli Hoeness played down such claims.

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Ballack talks turkey

A collection of Ballack quotes about the semi final against Turkey.
"I am very calm. All us see a great chance to be in the final and win the title.It's up to us.



They know how to adjust to opponents and that shows they are very strong mentally.I expect them to be more defensive, I think we will have more possession. We won't underestimate them, for sure, we respect everyone and we expect a difficult job.Turkey beat Croatia and we lost to it. There is no favorite.The memory of Dortmund shows us that we have to give our best until the end, and especially against the Turks we have to be committed until the final whistle."
Meanwhile rumour has it that Lehmann is busy compiling a a new set of cheat sheets in case the game goes to penalties.The last cheat sheet if you remember was up for sale in December last year.

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Andrei Arshavin - A new star rises in the east

Andrei Arshavin - wears the number 10 shirt and wears it with the style that matches other wearers of the famous number in the past. His virtuoso individual performance eliminated Holland and there was a similarly impressive display in the Group decider against Sweden. Arsenal and Chelsea are circling like vultures and and so are clubs from the Bundesliga.Wenger and Zidane have said they were impressed.He doesn't know much english - but who cares about that as long as his feet do the talking.But anyway - he doesn't need the english language.He's going to the La Liga.

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Lehmann ready to die...

Iker Casillas has been getting all the media coverage because of his great penalty saves yesterday. Jens Lehmann is claiming his own share of the spotlight by apparently saying that he was prepared to put his life on the line in Wednesday's Euro 2008 semi-final against Turkey.You may have to take him seriously though because just the other day he said he had a secret plan to prevent Ronaldo from scoring in the quarter final game -and whatever it was - it seemed to have worked.

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