I´ve lost one major final, I don´t want to lose another: Cesc
June 27, 2008
VIENNA (AFP) - Spain’s Cesc Fabregas says that he has no intention of letting Sunday’s Euro 2008 final against Germany slip through his hands.
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The Arsenal midfielder, who set up Spain’s last two goals in Thursday’s 3-0 semi-final win over Russia, knows all too well what it’s like to fall at the final hurdle having lost out to Barcelona with the Gunners in the 2006 Champions League final.
And after the Russian rout which set Spain up for a tilt at their first major honour in 44 years he insisted: "Listen I know what it’s like to lose a major final, I don’t want to lose another one."
Coach Luis Aragones has preferred to start Xavi in midfield throughout this Euro with Fabregas coming on as a super sub late on in the game.
But here at the Ernst Happel stadium Fabregas got called up sooner than expected when striker David Villa had to come off injured in the 34th minute.
Fabregas, who scored the winning penalty in the spot kick shoot out over Italy in the quarters, made what many regarded as a match winning contribution.
After Xavi had set Spain on their way the 21-year-old Fabregas was at the heart of goals from Daniel Guiza and David Silva.
Asked if this was the best game of his life he shrugged: "Maybe, but I’ll have to watch it on video again to have a better opinion.
"I don’t think I changed the game though when I came on, I just played the way I could."
He said converting the penalty that secured Spain’s 4-2 victory over Italy in the last eight had been crucially important to him and the team.
"It was a defining moment, one of the most important of my life. Everything went well, it could have gone wrong."
History now beckons for Spain who have fallen at the quarter-final stage of the World Cup or Euro three times in recent years, with their sole major honour the European championships of 1964.
"History is waiting for us, hopefully! We’ll have to try to play our best game of the tournament (against Germany)," said Fabregas.
"The Germans are very experienced and very competitive but if we play like we did tonight we have a good chance."
He’ll be coming up against an old adversary from the Premier League in Germany’s Chelsea captain Michael Ballack.
"Ballack’s doing an amazing job for Germany and for me he is one of the players of the tournament."
One key to Spain’s run of success which has seen it brush aside the Russians twice, Greece, Sweden and Italy, is their mental fortitude, a point underlined by Fabregas.
"We forged this team spirit in qualifying. There’s always this doubt in Spain. We’ve got through the semi-final and now the final but no one was expecting us to be where we are now.
"We’ve displayed great mental strength, that’s the key."
After this latest starring role Fabregas, who scored his first international goal in the opening 4-1 win over Russia, could quite understandably expect to be named in the starting XI against the Germans back here at the Ernst Happel stadium on Sunday.
But he said: "If the boss says I can play that’s better for me, but I just want to help my team."
Popularity: 1% [?]
Lippi back at Italy helm
June 27, 2008
ROME, Jun 26 (SW) - The Italian Football Federation announced on Thursday that manager Roberto Donadoni would be relieved of his duties, to be replaced by former manager Marcello Lippi.
Lippi, who resigned after leading the Azzurri to glory in the 2006 World Cup, takes over a squad that was knocked out on penalties in the quarter-finals of a less-than-impressive Euro 2008 campaign.
Donadoni had been criticized for his choice of players during the tournament and met with federation president Giancarlo Abete to discuss the move.
Lippi will sign a contract that will run through the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and his first match will be a friendly with Austria in August. Qualifying for the World Cup starts on September 6.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Minute by Minute: Russia - Spain
June 27, 2008
VIENNA, Jun 26 (SW) - Spain and Russia battle it out for a spot in the Euro 2008 final on Sunday against Germany. SoccerWay keeps you up to date with the latest.
Final score: 0-3
More match information: Here.
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FULL TIME - Spain are through to the Euro 2008 final! It was deserved as they were really the only side to attack tonight. In three days from now, their next appointment is with Germany in this very stadium to decide who is to lift this year’s European trophy!
Minute 88: Russia get a free kick and it’s swung in towards the goal. Zyryanov’s header is denied by Casillas.
Minute 85: The three-goal lead is nothing short of deserved as Spain have been the side taking the initiative tonight while the Russians seemed much less inspired than they did in the quarter final.
Minute 82: GOAL SPAIN (0-3) - DAVID SILVA - Spain score another and now it just can’t go wrong anymore!! Fabregas comes down the left wing and crosses to Silva who was left all alone by the Russian defense. The winger makes no mistake and slams it past Akinfeev for Spain’s third!
Minute 81: Less than ten minutes are left in regular time and Russia really need to react now! But in the last few minutes, it has been Spain who just keep on attacking.
Minute 74: The Russians get dangerously close to the Spanish goal but a short pass from the left is controlled by Casillas.
Minute 73: GOAL SPAIN (0-2) - DANIEL GUÏZA - Cesc Fabregas sends a beautiful looping pass over the Russian defense and subsitute Guïza lobs it over Akinfeev to double Spain’s lead!!
Minute 71: The following corner kick eventually enables Xabi Alonso to try a shot but again, Akinfeev gets in the way.
Minute 70: Good distance shot from Fabregas but Akinfeev makes the save.
Minute 69: Goalscorer Xavi Hernández comes off for Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres makes way for Daniel Guïza. Aragonés now has no substitutions left.
Minute 68: Spain want a spotkick as Fernando Torres goes down in the penalty area but referee De Bleeckere disagrees with the claims.
Minute 64: Russia get a free kick in a good spot as Marchena fouls Bilyaletdinov, but it hits a Spaniard.
Minute 63: Another big chance for Spain! Ramos sends in a cross from the right wing but Torres can’t get it on goal.
Minute 62: A difficult shot from Fernando Torres and not too surprisingly, it goes wide. Good attempt though.
Minute 61: Iniesta passes to Fabregas near the end line and Cesc tries to lob it over the goalkeeper to reach Fernando Torres but it’s cleared.
Minute 60: Fabregas is brought down by substitute Bilyaletdinov who is booked as result.
Minute 57: And another quick change for Russia with Sychev coming on for Saenko.
Minute 56: Russia manager Guus Hiddink makes a change and brings on Bilyaletdinov for Semshov. An attacking move this is.
Minute 56: Spain keep attacking now as Luis Aragonés’s men clearly want a quick second goal.
Minute 52: Almost another as Fabregas serves Torres and ‘El Niño’ strikes just over the Russian crossbar.
Minute 50: GOAL SPAIN (0-1) - XAVI - Andrés Iniesta enters the penalty area on the left and his pass reaches Xavi who does well to put the ball between Akinfeev’s legs for 0-1!
Minute 49: Ramos crosses in from the right looking for Torres at the back post, but it’s headed clear.
Minute 46: Back underway in Vienna.
HALF-TIME: A tight encounter as many of these matches deep in tournaments can be. A handful of half-chances, mostly falling the way of Spain, but the Russians aren’t being ripped up at the back like they were the first time around. With Villa out injured, how well will Torres play as the lone striker? All questions to be answered in the second half. Stay tuned.
Minute 45: Free kick lofted in by Xavi is taken well by Akinfeev.
Minute 39: Torres brings the ball down in the area and strikes it with the left boot, but it’s weak and Akinfeev takes it.
Minute 37: Ramos went for the target with a shot from the right, but it misses the near post.
Minute 34: Interesting move as Villa comes off with Cesc Fabregas replacing him.
Minute 31: Great effort by Pavlyuchenko from 20 yards out that doesn’t miss by much. Casillas did get a piece, but a goal kick is awarded.
Minute 29: Free kick for Spain in the center some 30 yards away is struck by Villa, but it bounces into Akinfeev’s arms.
Minute 27: Xavi lofts it into the area for Andrés Iniesta, but he can never get the ball under control.
Minute 24: Ramos has a boot from the right flank, but it floats right into the arms of Akinfeev. Tough takes for the keepers at all times with rain teeming down in Vienna.
Minute 18: First break from Yuri Zhirkov on the left, but his cross is over the goal.
Minute 16: Russia get a free kick in the center about 30 yards away as Carles Puyol hauls down Andrei Arshavin. Roman Pavlyuchenko has a fine strike at it, but he can’t keep it down and it’s over the top.
Minute 13: Corner kick for the first time in the game for Russia is taken short and the lofted ball to the far post is chested by Ramos to Casillas.
Minute 11: Villa has a crack at goal from 25 yards out, forcing a near-post save from Akinfeev.
Minute 10: First bit of dangerous play from Russia as Ivan Saenko sends in a right-wing cross, but it’s low and into the arms of Iker Casillas.
Minute 6: Torres gets a shot on target after Villa lays it back for him, but his turning effort lacked power and was right into the body of Igor Akinfeev. Spain starting the better of the two sides.
Minute 5: Sergio Ramos tries to volley in the right-footed corner, but it’s cleared. Later on, the ball comes back from the right, and again Ramos can’t quite get to it. Another corner by Spain is cleared away.
Minute 4: Fernando Torres accelerates down the right, but his cross is blocked out for a corner by Berezutski.
Kickoff: De Bleeckere gets the semi-final clash underway!
Pre-Game: It’s time for the anthems now. Spain, wearing yellow, will have theirs played first. Then, red-clad Russia will have their turn.
Pre-Game: Belgium’s Frank de Bleeckere will be the referee today, assisted by Peter Hermans and Alex Verstraeten. Greek referee Kyros Vassaras is the fourth official.
Pre-Game: Russia have been electric as of late, with stunning wins over both Sweden and an extra-time thriller against the Netherlands. Manager Guus Hiddink is forced to make one change to the side that beat the Dutch, with Vassili Berezutski stepping into the center of defense in place of the suspended Denis Kolodin.
Pre-Game: As expected, Spain manager Luis Aragonés does not make any changes to the side that beat Italy on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the semi-finals. Spanish observers keep wondering about the status of Fernando Torres, but he’s once again in the starting XI next to David Villa.
Pre-Game: Oh yeah, we didn’t forget. Spain has only won one major international tournament, the 1964 European Nations’ Cup. It was the Soviet Union that they beat 2-1 in the final in Madrid, Marcelino scoring the winning goal six minutes from time.
Pre-Game: These two nations have met four times since Russia began competing as the nation they are now, Spain winning three of those. The only other result was a 0-0 draw in a 2006 friendly. Spain beat Russia 1-0 at Euro 2004, and of course 4-1 in the opening group match of this tournament. They also met once when the CIS competed, that a 1-1 draw in Las Palmas.
Pre-Game: During the USSR era, the nations met five times. The Soviets twice beat Spain in European Championship qualifying, one of those a walkover in 1960 when Spain refused to travel to Moscow. Spain won in a friendly in 1986 and drew 0-0 in 1971.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Arshavin in debt to Dutch duo
June 26, 2008
Vienna
Everyone’s talking about Andrei Arshavin, how he’s lighting up Euro 2008 with skills that have earned praise from the great man himself, Zinedine Zidane. Yet Arshavin is not some boy wonder. He’s 27 and made his international debut on 17 May, 2002,
So why has it taken six years for the Russian ‘Ronaldinho’ to show the world just how good he is? It’s a fair question, one that I put to Konstantin Kleshchev, a man who knows a bit about the burgeoning star of Euro 2008.
"We’ve always known he’s a very good player," said Kleshchev, a reporter on Russian football for 25 years. "But not everyone has believed in him and could see what he was capable of."
Crucially, those people with the doubts have been the ones who mattered most. Previous coaches at both club and international level wanted Arshavin to fulfil a specific - and perhaps restrictive - role on the pitch, one that didn’t suit him at all.
Kleshchev admits that Arshavin is something of a free spirit and not easily dictated to. "He is a strong character," he said. "He is a person who says what he thinks. Sometimes he’s a bit crazy."
Like when he kicked an Andorran player towards the end of Russia’s final Euro 2008 qualifier, a moment of madness that ensured he missed the first two matches of the Finals.
According to Kleshchev, Arshavin is not a big fan of journalists either, although he is more than happy for his face to be splashed across the front and inside pages of Russia’s glossy magazines. This is a man who, after all, has a diploma in fashion design.
And he can expect even more interest in his life following his dazzling exploits in Austria and Switzerland. But how did he suddenly become football’s hottest property? Well, according to Kleshchev, the catalyst was the arrival on the Russian football scene of two Dutchmen, Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat.
Hiddink became national coach in April 2006, with Advocaat taking over at Zenit St Petersburg just three months later. Both men quickly made their presence felt, although Advocaat’s influence was initially more telling in respect of Arshavin.
Recognising he was a rough diamond in need of a little polishing, Advocaat made sure Arshavin got the TLC he required. Then he let Hiddink know just how good Arshavin was, too.
"Hiddink has a close relationship with Advocaat, and Advocaat told him Arshavin was the best," said Kleshchev. "Hiddink, who we call the magician in Russia, trusts Advocaat."
With the backing of Advocaat and Hiddink, Arshavin began doing what he does best - terrorising defences. It’s not quite a licence to roam but he certainly pops up in all kinds of places, his close control and quick feet making any defender wary of diving in.
It’s not only Arshavin who has benefitted from the nurturing instincts of Advoccat and Hiddink. Konstantin Zyryanov has also flourished under the Dutch duo’s guidance. "He spent six years at Torpedo Moscow without showing any promise, but Adocaat saw Zyryanov as a star," said Kleshchev.
Zyryanov was named Russian Football of the Year in 2007 and scored the second goal in the 2-0 win over Rangers in the Uefa Cup final back in May. He also scored the only goal in Russia’s crucial 1-0 win over Group D rivals Greece.
It’s a remarkable turnaround, especially when you consider he has had to cope with tragedy too many times in his life. A couple of years after losing his father and brother, his wife and four-year-old daughter were killed after they fell from the eighth floor of their apartment block. The coroner returned a verdict of suicide.
While Zyryanov has won plaudits for the way he has rebuilt his life and his career, it’s Arshavin who has grabbed most of the headlines. He is also attracting the interest of Europe’s top clubs, with talk of Barcelona leading the race for his services.
Kleshchev thinks any potential suitor, including the Spanish giants, may have to wait another year before getting their man. "For Zenit, the big thing now is the Champions League," he said. "They have already won the Russian Premier League and the Uefa Cup, so I think they will hold on to Arshavin for one more season."
Even then, Zenit might not want to sell. They certainly don’t have to. Gazprom, who own a majority stake in the club, have already pumped in £80m and, as Russia’s largest company, have many more millions at their disposal.
In the end, it will probably come down to what Arshavin wants. He currently earns £2m a year, so he’s already a wealthy man. But if he can inspire Russia to Euro 2008 success, he will probably be able to command at least twice that.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Vacay: Cristiano and Whatsherface in Italy
June 26, 2008
Popularity: 3% [?]
