Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has praised Mario Balotelli’s attitude ahead of tomorrow’s Euro 2012 final with Spain.

Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has backed UEFA’s suggestion they could hold the 2020 European Championship in up to 13 cities across Europe.

Italy have already held off the future. Tomorrow, they must stop the march of history.

FOR as long as he can remember, Chris Herlihy has been involved with football, and he credits it with keeping him mentally and physically active at 70 years.

WE’RE bang in the middle of the summer festival season, and July shows no signs of letting up. Practically every weekend is cram-packed with music and/or arts festivities all around the country, ranging from Kinsale Arts Week to the Galway Film Fleadh to a national scarecrow festival. So get planning.

Germany 1 Italy 2

Germany boss Joachim Low is counting on his cheeky boys to secure a place in the Euro 2012 final.

Spain defender Alvaro Arbeloa has warned his team-mates not to fall into the trap of assuming Cristiano Ronaldo is the only threat that Portugal pose to their hopes of progressing through to the Euro 2012 final.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter today labelled penalty shoot-outs “a tragedy” and challenged Franz Beckenbauer to come up with an alternative.