Starts friday.

Nice to note England have already made their excuse for not doing well this time. It was the gaffers fault for dropping Ferdinand.

Looking forward to some good matches over the next few weeks and I predict a Spain v Germany final with the Germans winning it.

The English media are unreal. They were seeded top in their group so you would expect them to reach the last 8. Yet the fuss that was made when they actually did was over the top, as if they had expected them NOT to qualify from a group including Ukraine and Sweden (mind you I thought they were lucky against both).

Yes that was a bit weird. On the BBC 10 O Clock News just after they'd beaten Ukraine, the reporter said "Few people expected England to get out of this group."

Eh? Hardly the group of death! England ranked 6th in the world, with France, 14th, their only serious competition. (Italy by the way are ranked 12th).

Anyway, England are out. And in unrelated news, UEFA were said to be pleased that a racist was deported from Ukraine last night.

now now, that has not been proven.

Final tonight, who do you reckon will win it?Italy have been improving with every game, whilst Spain have not been firing on all cylinders but still manage to win.

I'll stick with Spain purely because they have got a Scottish player........

As ya say ,Italy been looking better and better,i'll go with Ballotelli and co.

Pirlo v Girlo!

Spain to win the night

I'll stick with Spain purely because they have got a Scottish player........

And Alba scores........

well Iniesta & Xavi are definately the closest quality to Mcbain & Golabeck in their heyday !

Spain were different class! As for Ballotelli, what a petulant ******! Nae class.

Is it safe to un-mute the TV yet?

Now that's what I call a team. They are all good in their own right but it is the way they work for each other and have an awareness of where their team mates are that is so impressive. This is not just about the creativity upfront which is so exciting, it is the closing down in midfield and covering at the back which means that opponents get so few chances at goal. It is obviously a wonderful achievement to have won the last 3 major championships but the remarkable thing is the defensive record behind that record. They have now gone over 1,000 minutes of football in the knockout stages of a major championship since conceding a goal - Zidane in 2006. It is that sort of defensive record that gives the attacking players the confidence to express themselves and which piles the pressure of the opponents.

Good though that record is, it does, of course, pale beside Scotland's record of never having conceded a goal at all in the knock out stages of a major championship.

We have had the pleasure of watching the best club side ever in Barcelona, and now the best National side ever in Spain. And to do that with two of their best layers not even at the tournament because of injury. Think that Spain team is better that the Brazil of 1970, but it will never be proved, apart from the fact that Spain have now done the most unique treble ever, something that Brazilian team couldnt do.

And to think that 8 of those players tonight came through the Barca youth system, and there were more on the unused subs.

Awsome

Well, Spain wer not the worst offenders but this pitterpatter passing sideways and who are rarely to be found on the wings and are just as rarely a target of passes.

And Iniesta looks too much of the spitten image of Landon Donovan of L.A. Galaxy for my liking.--I mean that's uncanny. Don't you agree I.H.E. ?

Whatever happened to the fleetfooted winger outpacing the defence and cracking an accurate blistering pass along the front of the goal?

Looks like gone are the days of the mazy dribbles , the mesmerising footwork of the stars of yesteryear--the Georgie Bests, the Willie Waddells, the Jimmy Johnstones of a past, perfect era where men were men and women hoped they would come home half sober and with at least a half-full paypacket so that the weans could get their porridge in the morn.

Spain were goooood , yes, but when that Italian fella had to go off injured leaving the forlorn team down to ten men why can't the rules be bent to allow for another substitute to come on.? The guy gets injured and the ref penalised the team so that they sustain a relly rough defeat. What's fair in that? It's ridiculous !

Oh well, good luck to our new substitute goalie from Spain but he will have his work cut out to measure up to Iker Casilla. Apparently the former Spanish boss had high hopes that our new man woudl be real competition for the place to compete with Mr Iker. Total class, eh? Looks like we could have a good acquisition here. Adds flair anyway and it's getting quite exciting all this coming and going with players from all over the world. Who would have thunk it--the Pimple ever admitting to getting excited by the prospect of the import of foreign players? It's all I.H.E.;s fault...... :love02: .

After England lit up Euro 2012 with their scinitillating football, destroying everyone in their path on their way to lifting the trophy, they have moved up to 4th in the FIFA rankings.