Jose Mourinho was at a media presentation in central London last night, offering plenty of opinions about the World Cup ahead of his work on it as a pundit, but refusing to really elaborate on his day-to-day job and — specifically — Chelsea’s impending purchase of Diego Costa. He was keeping quiet on that, as news developed of the Atletico Madrid striker completing a medical on Monday.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters poured into the streets of Ukraine’s capital yesterday, toppling a statue of former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin and blockading key government buildings in an escalating stand-off with the president over the future of the country.

Former AC Milan and Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko’s debut on the Challenge Tour did not go as planned after he finished 12 over par for his first round.

Harry Redknapp has been made the number one target to take over as Ukraine manager.

Andriy Shevchenko has been offered the position of Ukraine head coach, the country’s football federation announced today.

England 1 Ukraine 1

Andriy Shevchenko has announced his retirement from football in order to pursue a career in politics.

At the very least, Euro 2012 will properly go down in history.

I’m always keen when picking a team of the tournament to choose a side that could actually play together and not some hideously lop-sided over-attacking selection.

England got the result and the quarter-final tie they wanted, with the returning Wayne Rooney heading the only goal of the game in the 48th minute.

England 1 Ukraine 0

Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko has been given only a 50-50 chance of being fit for tonight’s Group D clash with England by his coach Oleh Blokhin.

Gullit and Van Basten, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, Salas and Zamorano, Bebeto and Romario, Pele and Jairzinho, Torres and Villa, Klinsmann and Voller; some of the greatest strike partnerships of all time have been forged at international level and provided the World Cup and European Championship with so many memorable moments.

Andriy Voronin admits Ukraine’s Euro 2012 clash with England tomorrow night will be the biggest match in their history as fellow striker Andriy Shevchenko faces a battle to be fit.

Andriy Voronin says his old mate Steven Gerrard is one of the top players in Europe — and claims Ukraine need their own captain Andriy Shevchenko to be fit if Ukraine are to have any chance of beating England tomorrow.

Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko is rated a doubt to face England in Tuesday’s crunch Euro 2012 Group D match due to injury.

Striker Andriy Shevchenko does not believe Ukraine should focus too much on the return of Wayne Rooney in Tuesday’s game against England.

An exhilarating match on an extraordinary night in Donetsk, with play suspended for almost an hour because of a thunderstorm, ended with France beating their hosts to go top of Group D and a long way towards securing a place in the knockout stages.

Ukraine 0 France 2

At 35, Andriy Shevchenko is no spring chicken but Kiev’s favourite son is still the man the French fear most, according to his friend and foe Laurent Blanc.

DA, DA, DA, DA… DA, DA, DA, DA

Every single member of the Swedish team is adept at switching from their native tongue into English at the drop of the hat, but they certainly don’t seem to be speaking the same language as each other at present.

Breast man

THIS has been an extremely difficult tournament to cover. Anybody who’s attempted to move from one venue to another is already feeling the effects of a night spent huddled on an airport floor, or squashed into a packed train for an overnight journey. Little wonder there are swathes of empty seats at stadiums for the first time at a European Championship since 1996.

Two high-quality second-half goals from Andriy Shevchenko gave hosts Ukraine a triumphant start to Euro 2012 in Kiev last night.

Ukraine 2 Sweden 1

Ukraine manager Oleh Blokhin believes the co-hosts will have to cope with a “tornado” of interest if they are to start Euro 2012 with a win against Sweden.

Ukraine suspect that the mystery stomach bug which struck down 10 members of their Euro 2012 squad was the result of an act of sabotage.

If it wasn’t for Euro 2012, Andriy Shevchenko would probably have retired by now. The forward, commonly described as Europe’s most complete since Marco van Basten, is 35 now and, although he has looked after himself like few others, the body is beginning to creak.

Andre Villas-Boas has admits Chelsea’s pursuit of Kevin de Bruyne had nothing to do with him.

Stoke 1 Dynamo Kiev 1

AN Irishman hit the headlines in Kiev yesterday but enough about Sean Quinn — the real story arrives today when Giovanni Trapattoni lands at Boryspil Airport just outside town.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas today vowed to help Frank Lampard and Fernando Torres get back to their best after each had an international break to forget.

AND who said that Chelsea didn’t win anything this season? Our board have once again collected the ‘Classless Cronies of the Year award’ — even with stiff opposition from Sullivan, Gold and Brady.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has insisted Roman Abramovich is “too intelligent” to try to force him to play Fernando Torres.

AIDEN McGEADY’S dream of playing in the Europa League final at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium is in tatters after his Spartak Moscow side crashed 5-1 at Porto in last night’s quarter-final first leg tie.

Manchester City 1 Dynamo Kiev 0 (Dynamo Kiev win 2-1 on aggregate)

MANAGER Roberto Mancini has defended his decision to allow three senior Manchester City stars to leave on loan in January but now bemoans a lack of bodies as a reason for some of his side’s more stuttering performances in recent times, including their 2-0 first-leg defeat to Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League last-16 clash last week that they must try and correct tonight.

MANCHESTER CITY will need to display all their attacking strength next week if they are to remain in the Europa League.

Dynamo Kiev 2 Manchester City 0

Manchester City 3 Aris Salonika 0 (agg 3-0)

FERNANDO TORRES may have played only two games for Chelsea since a £50m (€58m) transfer from Liverpool but such is modern football’s insatiable desire for instant gratification that already the dreaded words ‘Andriy Shevchenko’ are being whispered nervously around Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he feels more sure of his ground even though he is taking nothing for granted following last night’s demolition of Bolton.