Glenn Whelan has seen the pictures of canines painted green, white and gold.

Euro 2012 will be Giovanni Trapattoni’s third time to lead a team at the finals of a major international competition. Paul Kelly looks at the campaigns in which his under-achieving Italy recorded two wins, three draws and two defeats.

There is mounting concern that if John O’Shea is not fit enough to play in next Monday’s friendly against Hungary in Budapest, the defender will miss Euro 2012.

One of the problems with past success is that it can freeze time for declined teams.

AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has turned down a move to Russia and will remain with the Italian champions next season.

AC MILAN midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has been banned for four matches after UEFA ruled he had “assaulted” Tottenham coach Joe Jordan.

AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has been banned for four matches after UEFA ruled he had “assaulted” Tottenham coach Joe Jordan.

I WAS sad to see my old mate Gennaro Gattuso in trouble this week.

Carlo Ancelotti today leapt to the defence of Gennaro Gattuso following the AC Milan midfielder's headbutt on Tottenham coach Joe Jordan.

Tottenham coach Joe Jordan has branded Gennaro Gattuso “pathetic” after the AC Milan midfielder claimed a racist remark provoked his headbutt this week.

AC Milan managing director Adriano Galliani claims the headbutting incident which today saw AC Milan vice-captain Gennaro Gattuso charged with gross unsporting misconduct has been blown out of proportion.

UEFA announced today AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has been charged with “gross unsporting conduct” after headbutting Tottenham coach Joe Jordan following Tuesday’s Champions League clash at the San Siro.

Vedran Corluka will see a specialist today to find out how long he will be out of action for thanks to Matthieu Flamini’s brutal tackle in Tottenham’s win over AC Milan on Tuesday.

THERE were a few sore heads in Milan on Tuesday night, and not just from those Tottenham supporters celebrating a victory to savour in the San Siro stadium.

AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso could face a lengthy ban after UEFA today announced it has opened disciplinary proceedings following his clash with Tottenham coach Joe Jordan.

Gennaro Gattuso could be facing a lengthy European ban after his headbutt on Joe Jordan took the gloss off Tottenham’s fine 1-0 win over AC Milan at the San Siro last night.

EXTRAORDINARY scenes at the San Siro, as Tottenham maintained their fairytale first season in the Champions League by beating AC Milan, currently top of Serie A, on their own turf.

AC Milan 0 Tottenham 1

AC Milan 4 Parma 0

SUBSTITUTE Pedro Leon struck an injury-time equaliser against AC Milan to send Real Madrid through to the last 16 of the Champions League and preserve the Spanish club’s unbeaten record under coach Jose Mourinho.

ITALY coach Marcello Lippi took full responsibility for his side’s World Cup group exit, admitting the reigning champions had played with “terror in their hearts, heads and legs”.

Slovakia 3 Italy 2

Slovakia 1 Italy 0

David Beckham could do no better than the AC Milan bench on his return to Old Trafford to face Manchester United tonight.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has named a 24-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers away to the Republic of Ireland on Saturday and at home to Cyprus four days later.

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has revealed he has talked to Arsenal about the possibility of signing Emmanuel Adebayor.

MOHAMED HOMOS scored the only goal as Egypt claimed a memorable Confederations Cup victory over Italy in Johannesburg last night.

Northern Ireland boss Nigel Worthington handed out four new caps in his starting XI with Chris Casement, Colin Coates, Corry Evans and Stephen Carter all lining up for the first time in a largely inexperienced team to face Italy.

Italy coach Marcelo Lippi will give young Inter Milan defender Davide Santon his senior international debut against Northern Ireland tomorrow night after admitting to being impressed with him in training.

WORLD champions Italy shared the honours with Greece after a low-key encounter in Athens ended in a draw between the two European rivals.

CHELSEA lead the way in England in nominations for the FIFPro World XI Players Awards, just one behind Barcelona, despite neither side winning the Champions League.

ITALY coach Marcello Lippi has left out veteran striker Alessandro Del Piero from his 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in Ireland’s group against Bulgaria and Montenegro.

ITALY coach Marcello Lippi admits the Azzurri need to raise their game after only scraping past Cyprus in their opening World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

Italy 2 Cyprus 1

France and Italy walk out for their trans-Alpine clash at Zurich’s Letzigrund tonight knowing their Euro 2008 fate lies in the hands of Romania.

ITALY midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has added to the simmering tension with France before tonight’s Group C clash by branding their coach Raymond Domenech “an idiot” and claiming that, “he can’t stop talking crap”.

AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani has told Barcelona they will end their interest Ronaldinho unless the Catalan club lowers the transfer fee.

Arsene Wenger opted on the side of caution by deploying Emmanuel Adebayor as a lone striker when Arsenal took on AC Milan for a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the San Siro tonight.

FIFA have published the shortlist for their world player of the year award.

SEVILLA, still grieving from the sudden death of midfielder Antonio Puerta, found themselves on the losing end of an incisive performance by European champions Milan in the UEFA Super Cup in Monaco last night.

AC Milan 3 Sevilla 1

AC Milan 2 Liverpool 1

STEVEN GERRARD has challenged motor-mouth AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso to “‘stop me if you can”.