EURO 2016 : PORTUGAL JUARA

24 teams, 51 games, 108 goals.

One new champion!

Santos: "We were as simple as doves and as wise as serpents."

Italy striker Graziano Pelle issues heartfelt apology after penalty miss

Graziano Pelle said he wants to "apologise to all Italians" for his penalty miss in Saturday night's Euro 2016 quarterfinal clash between Italy and Germany.

The Azzurri exited the competition after they were beaten on 6-5 penalties by Germany, following a 1-1 draw.

And Pelle, who missed one of the decisive spotkicks, has come under criticism for his gesture towards Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the shootout where he implied he was about to do a Panenka-style chip. 

"Do my Euros remain positive? I couldn't care less right now, I am just sad and want to apologise to all Italians," Pelle told news agency Ansa.

"If I had scored that penalty, I'd have become a phenomenon, but instead ... I arrived here as a nobody and I leave as a nobody.

"I am sorry to everyone, but let nobody say I was trying to provoke Neuer. I don't even think he noticed. By making the 'chip' gesture I was merely trying to encourage him to stay in the centre of the goal.

"He was moving around a lot and I wanted him to stay still. At the end Neuer saluted me and said I was a great player."

Despite Pelle's disappointment, he took to social media to give closure to Italy's Euro campaign and said he's "proud to be Italian."

"Despite a sad epilogue, I will always hold in my heart the memory of a fantastic group of 23 lions," wrote Pelle on Instagram. "From the first day of training to this we always helped each other out, in good and bad, so thank you lads.

"Unfortunately this is football, full of pleasingly unforgettable moments and others to be forgotten, but it remains the most beautiful game in the world. I love football.

"Thanks also to an entire nation that supported us to the last breathe or tear of this tournament. Proud to be Italian." 

EURO 2016 : Wales benam Star Belgium 3-1

Ashley Williams scored his first goal in 39 competitive internationals despite a shoulder injury.

Manager Coleman: "Don’t be afraid to have dreams. Don’t be afraid to fail."

When football hurts

EURO 2016 : Portugal reach Euro 2016 semi-finals with win over Poland on penalties

Lewandowski ends a run of 7 #POL games without a goal.

Only Luís Figo (5) has more assists at the EUROS for Portugal than Nani (4)

Cristiano Ronaldo is now unbeaten in his last 13 competitive games for Portugal.

Łukasz Fabiański

Sanchez optimis bantu Seleccao -kosmo

LILLE – Bakat remaja Portugal, Renato Sanches optimis untuk terus membantu skuad Seleccao melangkah lebih jauh dalam kempen kejuaraan Euro 2016 selepas dihadiahkan pujian oleh rakan-rakan sepasukannya ketika memikul peranan sebagai pemain simpanan menerusi beberapa perlawanan terdahulu.

Mengulas pujian yang diberikan pasukan Portugal, Sanchez mengakui sedia menerima sebarang ketetapan jurulatih kalaupun tidak diberi posisi bersama kesebelasan utama menjelang aksi menentang Poland dalam saingan suku akhir selepas ini.

“Saya gembira, inilah pengalaman sebagai pemain profesional. Saya teruja untuk bersama pasukan ini yang dibarisi pemain-pemain berbakat.

“Mengenai posisi saya bersama kesebelasan utama, saya tidak mahu terlalu memikirkan perkara tersebut. Paling penting ialah pasukan menggunakan pemain-pemain mengikut kesesuaian perlawanan. Kalau diberi peluang bersama skuad utama, saya akan beri aksi terbaik,” kata pemain berusia 18 tahun itu.

Sebagai rekod, Sanchez yang diturunkan sebagai pemain gantian sebanyak tiga kali dalam saingan sebelum ini telah menampilkan aksi matang, sekali gus memberi impak positif buat skuad Portugal.

Dalam perkembangan sama, Sanchez turut menyatakan rasa gembira kerana baru selesai menandatangani kontrak lima tahun bersama Bayern Munich selaku juara Bundesliga musim lalu.

“Saya tidak sabar untuk beraksi dengan Bayern pada musim depan tetapi fokus utama pada waktu ini ialah perlawanan menentang Poland,” tambah Sanchez. - AGENSI

Hungary tetap mampu berbangga -kosmo

TOULOUSE – Hungary memiliki potensi yang cerah untuk muncul sebagai sebuah pasukan hebat pada masa depan meskipun tersingkir daripada kempen kejuaraan Euro 2016 selepas ditewaskan Belgium 4-0 dalam saingan peringkat kalah mati awal pagi semalam.

Skuad The Magical Magyars itu mencipta kejutan pada kempen Euro 2016 apabila muncul selaku juara saingan Kumpulan F mengatasi pasukan gergasi Eropah yang juga naib juara Euro 2000, Portugal.

Jurulatih Hungary, Bernd Storck percaya, pengalaman tersingkir pada pusingan kalah mati Euro 2016 wajar disifatkan sebagai detik ‘manis’ kerana ia akan menjadi pengajaran berguna buat pasukan negara itu.

“Walaupun kalah, kami boleh meninggalkan kempen kejuaraan ini dengan penuh rasa bangga kerana Hungary tidak pernah menentang pasukan hebat seperti Belgium.

“Saya sendiri menikmati perlawanan itu yang menyaksikan kami nyaris menyamakan kedudukan. Selepas ini, kami akan memanfaatkan pengalaman itu dengan sebaik mungkin,” kata Storck.

Gol sulung Belgium hadir pada minit ke-10 menerusi tandukan Toby Aldeiwereld yang disudahkan selepas Kevin de Bruyne melakukan sepakan percuma.

Bagaimanapun, Hungary ternyata mampu memberi masalah kepada Belgium apabila mereka terpaksa menanti selama kira-kira 60 minit untuk mendapatkan jaringan gol kedua melalui Michy Batshuayi.

Eden Hazard pula menambah gol ketiga Belgium pada minit ke-80, diikuti Yannick Ferreira Carasco mencetak jaringan keempat pada penghujung perlawanan.

“Kami tidak pernah mengalah dan terus berusaha mendapatkan jaringan penyamaan. Belgium lebih bijak memanfaatkan semua kesempatan,” jelas Storck. - AGENSI 

WALES terus cemerlang...ungguli kedudukan teratas kumpulan | England sekadar seri dgn Slovakia

Terima kasih penyokong Croatia: Cech [metro]

Saint-Étienne, Perancis: Penjaga gol Arsenal Petr Cech berkata gangguan dicetuskan penyokong Croatia dengan membaling suar ke dalam padang membantu pasukannya Republik Czech meraih keputusan seri dramatik 2-2, semalam.

Ketika Croatia mendahului 2-1, pengadil Mark Clattenberg menghentikan perlawanan seketika apabila suar dibaling dari tempat duduk penyokong Croatia jatuh ke dalam padang. Ketika itu, masa penuh perlawanan 90 minit hampir tamat.

Apabila perlawanan bersambung, pertahanan Croatia Domagoj Vida dipersalahkan kerana bola terkena tangan dan Tomas Necid memanfaatkan sepakan penalti pada minit ke-94 untuk mata pertama mereka dalam Kumpulan D.

“Saya gembira kerana kami dapat menyamakan kedudukan. Saya anggap penangguhan sementara perlawanan itu akibat perbuatan penyokong mereka, membantu kami untuk seri,” kata Cech, 34, selepas aksi di Saint-Etienne.

“Mereka mengawal permainan ketika itu dan tiba-tiba kehilangan rentak bagi memberi peluang kepada kami untuk mengaut kesempatan.

“Kami pula mula bersemangat dan walaupun Croatia mempunyai beberapa serangan balas (sebelum gangguan itu) tapi sejak dari situ, mereka sebenarnya tidak begitu mengancam,” kata bekas penjaga gol Chelsea itu.

Sebaik saja selepas penalti Republik Czech itu, penyokong Croatia kelihatan bertumbuk sesama sendiri di tempat duduk mereka. - AFP

`Sembang pun tak guna', kata Santos

Paris: Jurulatih Portugal, Fernando Santos, mengelak untuk mengulas prestasi Cristiano Ronaldo.

Fernando Santos

Ronaldo gagal menyempurnakan sepakan penalti pada pertemuan yang menyaksikan Portugal seri 0-0 dengan Austria, awal pagi tadi.

Apabila ditanya bagaimana kapten di bilik persalinan berikutan kegagalan penalti minit ke-79, Santos berkata: “Saya enggan cakap mengenai subjek ini.

“Saya tidak mahu komen mengenai prestasi pemain.

Ronaldo's pursuit of scoring in four straight European Championships continues after his goalless night against Austria

“Memanglah keputusan ini seolah-olah tak adil. Tapi, tak guna untuk berbincang mengenainya.”

Ronaldo jelas begitu kecewa dalam usahanya untuk mendapatkan jaringan sebagai pemain pertama mencipta rekod pada penampilan keempat di kejohanan sama.

Kekecewaanya bertambah parah apabila Portugal masih mencari kemenangan dalam persaingan Kumpulan F.

Naib juara Euro 2004 itu kini berkongsi mata dengan Iceland dan berada dua tangga dari Hungary yang kini menduduki slot teratas Kumpulan F.

Kedua-dua pasukan itu akan bertemu di Stade de Lyon, 12 tengah malam, Khamis ini.

Komen Fernando Santos

“We're going through a tough time right now but we need to switch tack immediately. We can't wallow in despair right now, that cannot happen.

“We can't concentrate on what chances we missed and how many chances we missed.

"We have to build on the positives and put it all together in the next game. This is our first 'final' of the Euros."

"The game against Iceland wasn't great but it was okay, enough to win.

"If we'd won it would have been a major step forward and today was another very positive match.

"We hit the post in each half and that's it, the end result. Stats are worth nothing, fair or not, it's a moot point.

"We need to play the next match and win it because that will make the team grow and that's what it needs right now."

Kejutan Itali : Belgium 0 Italy 2

FINALIS 2012, Itali mengejutkan pasukan kedua terbaik dunia, Belgium 2-0 pada aksi pertama Kumpulan E Kejohanan Euro 2016 di Stadium Parc Olympique Lyonnais awal pagi semalam.

Kejayaan itu membuktikan tanpa pemain bintang, The Azzurri yang kecewa tersingkir awal pada Piala Dunia 2014 mampu ‘pergi jauh’ dalam saingan Euro di Perancis kali ini.

Bagaimanapun ketua jurulatih Itali, Antonio Conte menyifatkan kemenangan itu belum cukup untuk meletakkan skuadnya sebagai pasukan pilihan, namun ia mampu menyuntik semangat anak-anak buahnya bagi berdepan dua lagi pencabar iaitu Sweden dan Republik Ireland.

“Parut kempen Piala Dunia 2014 masih belum hilang. Kami perlu sedar untuk bangkit di sini memerlukan sesuatu yang luar biasa.

“Kami berdepan situasi sukar, tetapi saya percaya kesemua 23 pemain mencurahkan sepenuh kudrat mereka untuk melakar kejayaan di sini,” katanya.

Pada edisi Euro empat tahun lalu, Itali dikecewakan Sepanyol 0-4 pada kejohanan yang berlangsung di Poland dan Ukraine.

Itali yang menghuni ranking ke-12 dunia membuka tirai jaringan pada minit ke-32 menerusi pemain tengah, Emanuele Giaccherini dan Graziano Pelle menambah derita Belgium menerusi gol pada minit-minit akhir perlawanan.

Belgium's Romelu Lukaku was kept quiet by Italy defence - Axel Witsel

Belgium coach Marc Wilmots says Italy 'did not play real football'

Man of the match - Leonardo Bonucci (Italy)

Leonardo Bonucci was a rock at the heart of the Italian defence and a potent attacking weapon, as his pass for the opening goal illustrated

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois: "Now we have to win the other two matches and be a better team. Italy outclassed us in organisation, and tactically they were the best team."

EURO 2016 : Modric's super strike

Croatia manager Ante Cacic hailed Luka Modric's match-winning goal as "magic" and praised the midfielder's all-round performance in the 1-0 victory against Turkey.

Modric struck a looping 25-yard shot into the bottom corner of the net late in the first half to give his team the early initiative in Group D, which also includes defending champions Spain and Czech Republic.

Croatia created opportunities throughout the game, hitting the crossbar twice in the second half, but could not find a second goal. Turkey never really looked like making them pay though and with Spain up next, could already find it tough to make the knockout stages.

Cacic told UEFA.com: "Luka [Modric] deserves to be talked about -- this was one of his best matches. He really played well, he was our leader. He scored this magic goal and it turned out to be the only one of the game.

Emre Mor became the youngest player to play for Turkey at a major tournament today (18 years, 323 days)

Turkey head coach Fatih Terim knows there is plenty of room for improvement from his team.

He said: "We played well in the first half. Croatia were better than us in the second, but we had a big chance to score the first goal. If we'd got that, it would have been different.

"In the second half, especially after 60 minutes, we dropped physically and Croatia were better than us -- they had more chances.

"It's not over till it's over. We played against a very strong side. We have two more games, against Spain and the Czech Republic, and we'll do our best. We'll keep fighting.

"I'm upset, but we'll take our lessons from this. Our big players need to deliver more. It's a team game but I have high expectations from them and, if they deliver enough, we'll get some good results."