https://www.theguardian.com/football/euro2012 Latest news and features from theguardian.com, the world's leading liberal voice en-gb Guardian News &amp; Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2026 Fri, 12 Jun 2026 18:38:11 GMT 2026-06-12T18:38:11Z en-gb Guardian News &amp; Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2026 https://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.png https://www.theguardian.com https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jun/05/i-saw-ukraines-football-party-10-years-ago-and-ill-be-supporting-them-against-wales <p>Even with my Welsh heritage, I know which team I want to secure a place at this year’s World Cup in Qatar</p><p>On Sunday evening, every football fan in the world – apart from the Welsh – will be joined by many others who do not even care for the game in rooting for the national team of battered and besieged but resilient Ukraine as they face Wales for a place in the World Cup in Qatar later this year.</p><p>Watching here in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, even I, with a substantial quotient of Welsh DNA, will be wearing my official Ukraine yellow football shirt with “Malinovskyi 8” on the back.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jun/05/i-saw-ukraines-football-party-10-years-ago-and-ill-be-supporting-them-against-wales">Continue reading...</a> Ukraine World Cup 2022 qualifiers Ukraine Euro 2012 World Cup 2022 Football World Cup Sun, 05 Jun 2022 11:00:04 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jun/05/i-saw-ukraines-football-party-10-years-ago-and-ill-be-supporting-them-against-wales Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian Ed Vulliamy 2022-06-05T11:00:04Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jun/08/euros-best-rating-tournaments-1976-2016-euro-2020 <p>In the build-up to Euro 2020, we asked to you reminisce about your favourite tournaments from days gone by</p><p>Despite the feelgood factor that Euro 96 brought to the country, Euro 76 in Yugoslavia remains my favourite. It’s the first international football competition I can really remember. I was nine years old, playing in a kid’s team and getting into football properly. I mostly spent my time back then playing cricket, reading Roy of the Rovers, or Shoot, drinking copious amounts of Tab, Coke or 7 Up and saving up to buy a Yorkie bar at the weekend.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jun/08/euros-best-rating-tournaments-1976-2016-euro-2020">Continue reading...</a> Euro 2020 European Championship Football Sport Euro 2016 Euro 2012 Euro 2008 Tue, 08 Jun 2021 10:56:15 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jun/08/euros-best-rating-tournaments-1976-2016-euro-2020 Composite: Rex, Getty Composite: Rex, Getty Composite: Rex, Getty Guardian readers and Paul Campbell 2021-06-08T10:56:15Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2016/jun/28/england-under-roy-hodgson-in-pictures <p>From his appointment in 2012, through three international tournaments ending with the humiliating defeat to Iceland at Euro 2016, we take a look back at Roy Hodgson’s England reign</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2016/jun/28/england-under-roy-hodgson-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a> Roy Hodgson Football England World Cup 2014 Group D World Cup 2014 World Cup Euro 2012 Euro 2016 Sport Tue, 28 Jun 2016 09:52:42 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2016/jun/28/england-under-roy-hodgson-in-pictures Photograph: Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA Photograph: Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA Photograph: Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA Jim Powell 2016-06-28T09:52:42Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/nov/18/roy-keane-republic-ireland-martin-oneill-european-championship-club-management • Assistant manager to talk to Martin O’Neill ‘in next couple of weeks’<br />• ‘Martin knows I have that ambition to get back in the ring,’ he says<br /><p>Roy Keane has said he wants to return to club management after next summer’s European Championship finals and will sit down with Martin O’Neill to discuss his future in the coming weeks.</p><p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/nov/16/martin-oneill-republic-of-ireland-roy-keane" title="">Ireland beat Bosnia</a> on Monday to qualify for their second successive European finals, and O’Neill hailed the assistant manager’s importance to the team after the game, describing the former Manchester United midfielder as “an iconic figure that polarises opinion, but not in the dressing room”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/nov/18/roy-keane-republic-ireland-martin-oneill-european-championship-club-management">Continue reading...</a> Roy Keane Republic of Ireland Martin O'Neill Euro 2012 Football Sport Wed, 18 Nov 2015 10:52:34 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/nov/18/roy-keane-republic-ireland-martin-oneill-european-championship-club-management Photograph: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE/Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE/SPORTSFILE/Corbis Photograph: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE/Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE/SPORTSFILE/Corbis Photograph: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE/Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE/SPORTSFILE/Corbis Reuters 2015-11-18T10:52:34Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/jan/30/euro-2012-ukraine-turbulent-history Few major tournaments can have felt so irrelevant to their time and place as the last European Championship and the potential fault lines in Ukraine were apparent to those who cared to look<p>The Donbass Arena, built with several hundred million of an oligarch’s dollars, was as striking a modern setting for a football match as could be imagined. A shortish walk from the centre of Donetsk, it invited fans to get there early and join the families and couples enjoying a picnic or an ice cream in the sunshine on the carefully landscaped grassy knoll overlooking the sparkling new home of Shakhtar, the oligarch’s club, and the lake that lay beyond it.</p><p>On a fine summer’s day, such as that on which Portugal and Spain confronted each other for a place in the Euro 2012 final, it felt like heaven. A reminder that there was also a hell close at hand came on the other side of the arena, nearer to the lake, in the shape of a 100ft-high statue of a soldier and a miner. One holding a sword and the other a flag, cast in black copper in the Soviet realist style and resting on a black granite base, the figures commemorated the liberation of the city from Nazi occupation in July 1943. A few yards away stood a display of Red Army tanks and field guns.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/jan/30/euro-2012-ukraine-turbulent-history">Continue reading...</a> Football Euro 2012 Sport Ukraine Europe Fri, 30 Jan 2015 12:34:00 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/jan/30/euro-2012-ukraine-turbulent-history Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images The Donbass Arena in Donetsk staged several matches during Euro 2012 but was badly damaged by shelling in October. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images The Donbass Arena in Donetsk staged several matches during Euro 2012 but was badly damaged by shelling in October. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images The Donbass Arena in Donetsk staged several matches during Euro 2012 but was badly damaged by shelling in October. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images Richard Williams 2015-01-30T12:34:00Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/jul/30/euro-2012-ukraine-one-year-on With Uefa since having decided to spread Euro 2020 across the continent to avoid white elephants, a Ukrainian football writer discusses whether the tournament was good for the country<p>It is now a year since Ukraine – together with Poland – hosted Euro 2012. The preparations took five years, taking in the now customary public spending on stadiums and infrastructure. Then it lasted roughly one month.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/jul/30/euro-2012-ukraine-one-year-on">Continue reading...</a> Euro 2012 Football Ukraine Sport Tue, 30 Jul 2013 10:50:03 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/jul/30/euro-2012-ukraine-one-year-on Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA A general view of the Olympic Stadium in Kiev. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA A general view of the Olympic Stadium in Kiev. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA A general view of the Olympic Stadium in Kiev. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA Igor Boyko 2013-07-30T10:50:03Z https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2013/jul/10/favourite-things-moyes-manchester-euro-2012 Featuring the moving story of Jeff Bauman, who lost his legs while watching his girlfriend run at the Boston Marathon 2013<p>Thanks for all your comments and suggestions on <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2013/jun/26/favourite-things-week-sports-journalism-web" title="">our last blog</a>. Here are a few highlights from this week.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2013/jul/10/favourite-things-moyes-manchester-euro-2012">Continue reading...</a> Sport Football Athletics Euro 2012 Boston Marathon bombing British & Irish Lions Manchester City Wimbledon Tennis Rugby union Wed, 10 Jul 2013 16:35:00 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2013/jul/10/favourite-things-moyes-manchester-euro-2012 Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Andy Murray. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Andy Murray. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Andy Murray. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Paul Campbell 2013-07-10T16:35:00Z https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/12/most-watched-shows-2012-tv-ratings Year's sporting highlights ahead of usual chart toppers, including The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and Downton Abbey<br /><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/dec/12/most-viewed-tv-programmes-in-2012" title="">Table: top 20 most-watched TV shows of the year</a><p>Coverage of the London 2012 Olympics and Euro 2012 dominates the list of the most popular TV programmes of the year ahead of the usual chart toppers, including The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and Downton Abbey.</p><p>The Olympic closing ceremony on 12 August was the most-watched programme of the year, with an average audience of 24.5 million viewers, despite a mixed critical reception, just ahead of Danny Boyle's widely acclaimed opening ceremony on 27 July (24.2 million).</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/12/most-watched-shows-2012-tv-ratings">Continue reading...</a> TV ratings Television industry Media BBC One BBC ITV plc ITV1 Olympic Games 2012 Sport Euro 2012 Football UK news Olympic Games Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:06:20 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/12/most-watched-shows-2012-tv-ratings Photograph: Dan Chung/The Guardian The London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony was the most-watched programme of the year. Photograph: Dan Chung/The Guardian Photograph: Dan Chung/The Guardian The London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony was the most-watched programme of the year. Photograph: Dan Chung/The Guardian Photograph: Dan Chung/The Guardian The London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony was the most-watched programme of the year. Photograph: Dan Chung/The Guardian Tara Conlan 2012-12-12T15:06:20Z https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/dec/11/google-hits-uk-2012 Google Zeitgeist list shows Whitney Houston, Gangnam Style, Netflix and April Jones among most popular search terms in UK in 2012<p>Like the Oxford Dictionaries' word of the year (<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/nov/13/omnishambles-oxford-dictionary-word-year" title="">2012: omnishambles</a>), Google's annual Zeitgeist list of the year's top UK internet search terms is becoming a handy barometer of what is on the nation's mind.</p><p>In 2012 the top UK search terms included Whitney Houston, Kate Middleton, Gangnam Style and April Jones, the Welsh five-year-old who went missing in October.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/dec/11/google-hits-uk-2012">Continue reading...</a> Google Whitney Houston Euro 2012 Gangnam Style Internet Technology UK news Digital media Tue, 11 Dec 2012 07:55:00 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/dec/11/google-hits-uk-2012 Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Whitney Houston, who died in February, was the most Googled person in the UK this year. Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Whitney Houston, who died in February, was the most Googled person in the UK this year. Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Whitney Houston, who died in February, was the most Googled person in the UK this year. Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Jemima Kiss 2012-12-11T07:55:00Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2012/oct/12/fa-st-georges-park Throwing money at a luxury hotel and Jacuzzis for the England squad is to miss the point in a country whose coaches have no concept of the English style or vision<p>It has – yet again – been a peculiar week to follow the England football team. At least it has for anyone who has yet to lobotomise fully from their medium-term memory the recent bad times, chiefly the final hour of the most recent tournament appearance,<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jun/24/euro-2012-england-italy-quarter-final" title=""> against Italy in Kiev</a>, when England looked not just ragged, but strangely traumatised, the players trotting about wearing the crumpled, stoic expressions of men who have been taken hostage and forced to perform some ritual task of abasement for the cameras: baffled, fearful, but still somehow hearteningly game and willing, like a group of dogs coerced, aggressively, into trying to play chess.</p><p>This time, however, things are different. England entered the current double-header buoyed by images of St George's Park, the Football Association's centre of alleged excellence, which is apparently poised to change the apparent culture of elite English football apparently for good, at least if we are to believe the breathless pre-failure publicity of its inauguration this week.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2012/oct/12/fa-st-georges-park">Continue reading...</a> The FA England Euro 2012 Football tactics Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:51:06 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2012/oct/12/fa-st-georges-park Photograph: Chris Jackson/AP The Duke of Cambridge, centre, checks out the facilities in the hyrotherapy suite at St George's Park in Burton-upon-Trent. Photograph: Chris Jackson/AP Photograph: Chris Jackson/AP The Duke of Cambridge, centre, checks out the facilities in the hyrotherapy suite at St George's Park in Burton-upon-Trent. Photograph: Chris Jackson/AP Photograph: Chris Jackson/AP The Duke of Cambridge, centre, checks out the facilities in the hyrotherapy suite at St George's Park in Burton-upon-Trent. Photograph: Chris Jackson/AP Barney Ronay 2012-10-12T14:51:06Z https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/oct/01/olympics-euro-newspaper-ad-spend Media buying network slashes more than £100m from forecast for UK press market this year<p>The London Olympics and Euro 2012 failed to give national newspapers the expected boost in advertising spend, with media buying network ZenithOptimedia slashing more than £100m from its forecast for the overall UK press market this year.</p><p>In June Zenith expected the total UK newspaper market to contract by a relatively resilient 1.7% year on year in 2012. But it has now taken a much more bleak position and expects a fall of 5.8%.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/oct/01/olympics-euro-newspaper-ad-spend">Continue reading...</a> Advertising Media business Media Marketing & PR Newspapers Newspapers & magazines Newspaper formats UK news Olympic Games 2012 Sport Euro 2012 Regional & local newspapers Olympic Games Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:20:34 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/oct/01/olympics-euro-newspaper-ad-spend Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire/Press Association Images Winners & losers: Zenith expects UK national newspaper advertising to be worth £1.233bn this year. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire/Press Association Images Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire/Press Association Images Winners & losers: Zenith expects UK national newspaper advertising to be worth £1.233bn this year. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire/Press Association Images Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire/Press Association Images Winners & losers: Zenith expects UK national newspaper advertising to be worth £1.233bn this year. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire/Press Association Images Mark Sweney 2012-10-01T11:20:34Z https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/aug/28/utv-media-mixed-results-summer-sport Euro 2012 was a major reason behind a 16% increase in TalkSport revenues, but Olympics hit TV advertising business<p>Sport has proved a double-edged sword for UTV Media this summer, with Euro 2012 boosting TalkSport revenues but then the Olympics hitting the company's TV advertising business.</p><p>TalkSport was again UTV's biggest success story during the first half of 2012, with revenues up 16% year-on-year to £17.2m, thanks largely to Euro 2012.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/aug/28/utv-media-mixed-results-summer-sport">Continue reading...</a> UTV Media TalkSport Television industry Advertising Radio industry Media business Business UK news Ireland Sport TV Sport radio Olympic Games 2012 ITV plc Northern Ireland Euro 2012 Olympic Games Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:23:11 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/aug/28/utv-media-mixed-results-summer-sport Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images The Euro 2012 football tournament helped boost TalkSport’s revenues by 16%, but the Olympics hit UTV Media’s TV business. Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images The Euro 2012 football tournament helped boost TalkSport’s revenues by 16%, but the Olympics hit UTV Media’s TV business. Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images The Euro 2012 football tournament helped boost TalkSport’s revenues by 16%, but the Olympics hit UTV Media’s TV business. Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images Mark Sweney 2012-08-28T10:23:11Z https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2012/jul/23/dmgt-digital-media <p>The Daily Mail's website became profitable for the first time in June, <a href="http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/rss/1142207/Mail-Online-makes-its-first-profit-June-2012">reports Media Week.</a> The magazine says that after achieving a near 80% year-on-year rise in revenues, mostly due to advertising, MailOnline is set to generate almost £30m this year.</p><p>The site includes all the editorial material published in print in the Mail and Mail on Sunday plus generating a considerable amount of its own content.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2012/jul/23/dmgt-digital-media">Continue reading...</a> Media Daily Mail & General Trust Digital media Daily Mail Mail on Sunday Martin Clarke Advertising Queen's diamond jubilee Euro 2012 New York Times Mon, 23 Jul 2012 10:52:34 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2012/jul/23/dmgt-digital-media Roy Greenslade 2012-07-23T10:52:34Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jul/20/antonio-cassano-fined-uefa-gay-players • Italy striker must pay €15,000 for slur<br />• Cassano later denied he meant to cause offence<p>The Milan striker Antonio Cassano has received a €15,000 (£11,700) fine from Uefa for a discriminatory statement he made while with Italy at Euro 2012.</p><p>Cassano caused uproar when he said he hoped there were no gay players in the national team squad in Poland and Ukraine.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jul/20/antonio-cassano-fined-uefa-gay-players">Continue reading...</a> Italy Milan Football Sport Euro 2012 Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:05:55 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jul/20/antonio-cassano-fined-uefa-gay-players Photograph: Claudio Villa/Getty Images Antonio Cassano said he hoped there were no gays in the Italy dressing room during a press conference in Krakow for Euro 2012. Photograph: Claudio Villa/Getty Images Photograph: Claudio Villa/Getty Images Antonio Cassano said he hoped there were no gays in the Italy dressing room during a press conference in Krakow for Euro 2012. Photograph: Claudio Villa/Getty Images Photograph: Claudio Villa/Getty Images Antonio Cassano said he hoped there were no gays in the Italy dressing room during a press conference in Krakow for Euro 2012. Photograph: Claudio Villa/Getty Images Press Association 2012-07-20T15:05:55Z https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jul/09/jjb-poor-sales-wet-summer-euro2012 Sportswear retailer says sales have 'fallen materially short of expectations' since last update in April<p>The British weather and the performance of the country's sports stars has already had a depressing effect on the country's mood, but sportswear retailer JJB Sports is now using the gloomy summer as an excuse for poor trading.</p><p>The company warned on Monday that sales had "fallen materially short of expectations" since its last update in April.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jul/09/jjb-poor-sales-wet-summer-euro2012">Continue reading...</a> JJB Sports Retail industry Business UK weather Euro 2012 Mon, 09 Jul 2012 07:01:00 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jul/09/jjb-poor-sales-wet-summer-euro2012 Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images JJB Sports said sales are down 8%. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images JJB Sports said sales are down 8%. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images JJB Sports said sales are down 8%. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images Simon Goodley 2012-07-09T07:01:00Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jul/05/german-tv-uefa-crying-fan Governing body illustrates Italy goal with earlier footage of German woman crying during national anthem<p>Angry German television chiefs have complained to Uefa after it was discovered that coverage of the European Championship semi-final between Germany and Italy was manipulated to show a German woman in tears when her team was two goals down when in fact she had been moved by the national anthem.</p><p>When the fan alerted the German press to the faked footage, after she received texts and facebook messages from bemused friends, it was discovered that Uefa, European football's governing body which controlled the broadcast, had strategically inserted the images following a goal when they had actually been filmed much earlier.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jul/05/german-tv-uefa-crying-fan">Continue reading...</a> Euro 2012 Uefa Football Germany Italy Television & radio Media Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:04:19 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jul/05/german-tv-uefa-crying-fan Kate Connolly in Berlin 2012-07-05T14:04:19Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2012/jul/05/euro-2012-german-fan-crying-video Television viewers around the world saw these images of a German woman crying after Italy scored their second goal in the Euro 2012 semi-final. But it has emerged the clip was actually filmed during the national anthem, before kick-off – and Uefa inserted it into the 'live' pictures it supplied to broadcasters including the BBC and ITV <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2012/jul/05/euro-2012-german-fan-crying-video">Continue reading...</a> Euro 2012 Germany Italy Football Sport Television & radio Uefa Media Thu, 05 Jul 2012 09:10:00 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2012/jul/05/euro-2012-german-fan-crying-video Guardian Staff 2012-07-05T09:10:00Z https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2012/jul/04/clip-joint-football Suffering withdrawal symptoms after Euro 2012? This week's clip joint tackles the best football scenes in cinema<p><em>This week's Clip joint is by Ashley Clark, who also wrote Clip joints on <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2011/nov/09/clip-joint-breaking-fourth-wall?INTCMP=SRCH">breaking the fourth wall</a>, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2011/dec/08/clip-joint-mirrors?INTCMP=SRCH">mirrors</a> and <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2012/may/09/clip-joint-arguments?INTCMP=SRCH">arguments</a>. He runs the film blog <a href="http://permanentplastichelmet.com/">Permanent Plastic Helmet</a>. You can follow it on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/pplastichelmet">@PPlasticHelmet</a>, and/or him <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/_ash_clark">@_ash_clark</a>.</em></p><p><em>Think you can do better than Ashley? If you've got an idea for a future Clip joint, pop an email over to <a href="mailto:adam.boult@guardian.co.uk">adam.boult@guardian.co.uk</a></em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2012/jul/04/clip-joint-football">Continue reading...</a> Film Culture Football Euro 2012 Ken Loach Pelé Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:07:00 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2012/jul/04/clip-joint-football Photograph: Graham Turner/Guardian Goalposts … One of the vital bits of equipment required for the game known as 'football'. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian Photograph: Graham Turner/Guardian Goalposts … One of the vital bits of equipment required for the game known as 'football'. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian Photograph: Graham Turner/Guardian Goalposts … One of the vital bits of equipment required for the game known as 'football'. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian Guardian readers 2012-07-04T12:07:00Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jul/03/spain-euro-2012-xabi-alonso Spain's midfielder talks about his side's mental attitude, philosophy, and the chances of winning the 2014 World Cup<p><strong>How does Spain's 4-0 victory against Italy in Sunday's final compare with the great teams and the great finals? How does it compare to Brazil in 1958? Brazil in 1970?</strong></p><p>Xabi Alonso: Bloody hell! I don't know. I don't remember them. I wasn't even born, so how can I compare them? They're different eras. But I am sure that this final will go down in history.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jul/03/spain-euro-2012-xabi-alonso">Continue reading...</a> Spain Euro 2012 Football Sport Tue, 03 Jul 2012 20:56:00 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jul/03/spain-euro-2012-xabi-alonso Photograph: Kerim Okten/EPA Xabi Alonso says Spain were 'secure, calm, and confident in what we were doing', despite criticism of their play earlier in Euro 2012. Photograph: Kerim Okten/EPA Photograph: Kerim Okten/EPA Xabi Alonso says Spain were 'secure, calm, and confident in what we were doing', despite criticism of their play earlier in Euro 2012. Photograph: Kerim Okten/EPA Photograph: Kerim Okten/EPA Xabi Alonso says Spain were 'secure, calm, and confident in what we were doing', despite criticism of their play earlier in Euro 2012. Photograph: Kerim Okten/EPA Sid Lowe 2012-07-03T20:56:00Z https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jul/03/red-card-bbc-euro-2012 <p>With the successful conclusion of Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine (<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/euro2012?INTCMP=SRCH" title="">Sport</a>, 3 July), I feel there should be more comment on what essentially was a smear campaign by the UK media towards the two counties before the tournament began. The BBC in particular, with <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/13/ukraine-bbc-euro-2012-panorama" title="">its sensationalist Panorama programme</a>, was determined to paint Poland and Ukraine as hotbeds of racism, antisemitism and general intolerance which would result in a disaster for visiting fans. The predicted racist attacks never materialised, with the unfortunate incidents mainly coming from visiting fans. It was embarrassing to chat with my Polish friends, who asked me why the British media were so set on smearing their country while they were co-hosting such a fantastic tournament. These are two wonderful countries which, like many, have their problems, yet are vibrant and welcoming. I hope there is a feeling of shame in the media for the way in which they tried to write them off before a ball was kicked.<br><strong>George Leech</strong><br><em>Lancaster</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jul/03/red-card-bbc-euro-2012">Continue reading...</a> Euro 2012 Football Poland Ukraine Europe World news Race BBC Media Tue, 03 Jul 2012 20:00:40 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jul/03/red-card-bbc-euro-2012 Guardian Staff 2012-07-03T20:00:40Z