Compiled by MARY HANNIGAN
No collusion: but key match could end Spain 2: Croatia 2
WHILE ITALIAN goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was moved to poetry on his Facebook site to dismiss any notion about Spain and Croatia colluding tonight to produce a 2-2 draw – one that would ensure they both went through at Italy’s expense, regardless of how the Italians fared against Ireland – Spanish defender Raul Albiol
has been no less aghast at the insinuations.
“Stupid,” he said, insisting that Spain always play to win, and besides, the entire Spanish squad had taken part in a sweepstake predicting the result of the game, and not one had forecast a 2-2.
“And just in case anyone gets suspicious,” he added, lest Uefa’s no-gambling police arrived at the camp, “we did it before the tournament started anyway.”
So, how does he see the game panning out? His own forecast?
A 2-2 could happen. Just as a 1-0 or a 0-1 could happen. 1-0, 2-1, 1-1, 0-0, those are all results that can happen and so can 2-2 but there’s no pact to make it 2-2.”
Croatia must hope that Spain are equally indecisive in front of goal tonight.
Karagounis: Highs and lows
It would, of course, be highly hackneyed to put a “Heaven and Hellas” caption on these two photos of Giorgos Karagounis from Saturday’s game against Russia, so we will.
In the first he’s thanking the heavens for his goal, the one that put Greece through from their group (and which one of us didn’t expect that?); in the second he’s expressing a degree of frustration with the referee over receiving a yellow card for diving (when he’d actually been tripped) that rules him out of the quarter-finals.
You gotta love the fella.
A little bit unique: FA man Richards hails Hodgson
Fate-tempting quote of the tournament?
From English Football Association vice-chairman Dave Richards: “The mood is fantastic and the manager is in great form. He’s brought something a little bit different, he’s very progressive in his way. It’s something that is a little bit unique – I’ve never seen anything like it before. He seems to have that little bit of a Midas touch.”
Two competitive games in to Roy Hodgson’s reign . . . well, the praise seems a little previous. And according to our sources (well, Wikipedia), Midas departed this earth after drinking bulls’ blood during an attack by the Cimmerians.
If England slip up against Ukraine, that’s probably what the English media will demand Roy Hodgson does too.
Zlatan a man of plane tastes
It wasn’t the best of tournaments for Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the lowpoint, perhaps when England fans serenaded him with “you’re just a s**t Andy Carroll”. Yesterday, he left for home, bidding a tearful adieu to Euro 2012: “I don’t give a s**t who wins it now. I’m going on holiday. Hopefully in Sweden, but if the weather’s bad I’ve got an aeroplane ready.”
You’re due a break, Zlatan, rest easy.
That's rank: Collymore
There's no end to the expertise being offered by pundits during this tournament, not least from TalkSport's Stan Collymore. As quoted in Private Eye: “It’s a 32 team tournament and all but one or two are in the Fifa top 20 rankings.”
Nani: Ronaldo 'quite good'
Nani has, on the odd occasion, let it slip he’s not best pleased about the assumption that Portugal is a one-man team, often suggesting he’s just as ace as Cristiano Ronaldo.
But, he came to Ronaldo’s defence the other day, after the Real Madrid man got a thumping from the press over his opening two performances at Euro 2012.
Well, he almost came to his defence: “We need everyone on his best because Cristiano doesn’t play alone and we have fantastic players on this team. Of course, he’s very important for us. But he’s alright. He’s training very well, his contribution for the team is fant . . . is quite good.” Oooh.
Direct Roy: Keane has a go at 'big names' picked by Trap on reputation not medals
After Giovanni Trapattoni made just the one change to his team for the Italian game, it would seem he didn’t pay much attention to Roy Keane’s column in the Sun – well, certainly not the headline any way.
The highlights: “You’ll never beat the Irish? It’s time for that song to be put away because, at the moment, everyone is beating them. I’m sick of this ‘win, lose, we’re on the booze’ mentality. It has to change.”
“What will the fans have to look back on from this tournament? Sean St Ledger’s goal against Croatia? That’s how bad it has been.”
“The likes of Keane, Shay Given, Richard Dunne, John O’Shea and Damien Duff are picked for every game as they have a big reputation. A reputation for what? They hadn’t qualified for anything in 10 years.
“They love having a dig back when I say something but I tell you now, I’ll be ready if they do because players have to be accountable for how the team did.
“Where is their hunger and drive to achieve something? A couple of years ago Kevin Doyle was linked to Arsenal. Now he’s heading back to the Championship. Stephen Hunt has been relegated three times in five years.
“I’m trying to be constructive but the manager and the players all have to be accountable. It’s no good shrugging our shoulders and having a sing-song.”
Some suggested this was Roy’s application for Trapattoni’s job. As applications go, it’s rather, you have to say, direct.
Ten minutes or less: Ireland need to get it Dunne
“We need to make sure we can get through the first 10 minutes without conceding a goal.”
– Richard Dunne on Ireland’s slightly reduced expectations at Euro 2012.
“It’s very disappointing to hear that some of our supporters have behaved like this. I don’t like these people, I don’t want these people supporting us. We don’t want them in the stadium. We are angry with these stupid fans as well. We need to stop them forever.”
– Croatian coach Slaven Bilic has a word with the Neanderthal element of his country’s support.
“I’ve been dragged here kicking and screaming, to be fair.”
– Damien Duff, not a lover of chatting with the media, on arriving at yesterday’s press conference.
“Before I was a hero, now I am nothing more than the son-in-law of (Bert) Van Marwijk . . . These past four years, we were kings, and I didn’t hear anything criticism. Now we have no value.”
– Dutch captain Mark van Bommel not feeling the love ahead of last night’s game.
Weather we win or lose
Poznan laid on a spectacular thunderstorm to welcome the Republic of Ireland’s fans back to the city for their final Group C game. As the Boys in Green headed down from the Baltic coast in preparation for tonight’s encounter with Italy they were greeted by thunder, lightning and rainfall of near-biblical proportions.
