Iain Dowie remains hopeful Wayne Routledge will celebrate his birthday by signing a new deal with Crystal Palace, but admits the club may look to cash in on the winger before the transfer window closes if he does not.

Russia 2 Greece 1

Greece survived conceding the fastest ever goal in European Championships history to edge into the quarter-finals of Euro 2004 by the skin of their teeth.

It took Spain more sweat and toil than they had anticipated but, in a game that saw a red card for Roman Sharanov and a glut of bookings, Inaki Saez’s side got off to the start to the Euro 2004 finals they had dreamed off.

Dynamo Moscow have signed former Russian international Andrei Kanchelskis in a one-year deal.

Germany claimed top slot in Group Five and automatic qualification for Euro 2004 after a comfortable 3-0 win over Iceland at the AOL Arena in Hamburg.