The Russian president’s reaction to being confronted by a topless protestor just confirms her belief that Vladimir Putin is stupid, she said yesterday.

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.

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

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.

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.

Breast man

At the top of Shevchenko Boulevard — named after the great Ukrainian writer Taras Shevchenko, not the man who, on Monday, wrote a chapter of his own in Euros history — Ukrainians spilled into the Golden Lion pub that has become a base for England fans in Donetsk.

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 skipper Andrei Shevchenko hailed last night’s “historic” victory for the host nation as they got their campaign off to a winning start.

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.

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.

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.

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba expects to sign a new one-year contract extension that will tie him to Stamford Bridge until 2013.

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 v Dynamo Kiev

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

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.

Filippo Inzaghi reached three goalscoring milestones in one match with a brace in AC Milan’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Real Madrid at the San Siro last night.

GREECE striker Angelos Charisteas toasted another significant chapter in Greek football after Otto Rehhagel’s team claimed a place at the 2010 World Cup at the expense of Ukraine.

Ukraine 0 Greece 1 (Greece win 1-0 on aggregate)

Greece 0 Ukraine 0

OUR football correspondent LIAM MACKEY is back in top form and full of energy. He casts his eye over all your comments and gives his own critical analysis of the goings on throughout the world of football. You may agrewith him or then again you may not. This week the subjects include: Ireland’s performance against the Italians; seeding that helps France and Portugal?; England and Steven Gerard and Wayne Rooney; Where to next for Robinho; Capello’s plodders on the internet; Heskey and Aston Villa and the World Cup; soccer DNA; Maradona miracles; Ferguson and his apology and the awakening of Manchester United?

ASHLEY COLE seems to be winning over the Chelsea faithful and it’s about time. He was a very unpopular signing for a number of reasons. Obviously the long-term association with Arsenal was never going to make him an instant hit; that he was seen as taking the place of the popular Wayne Bridge also made some dislike him, which is hardly fair.

ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO is set to begin talks with former club Dynamo Kiev this weekend after the Chelsea and Ukraine striker decided to leave the London club yesterday.

Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko has decided to leave the club.

Carlo Ancelotti insists Andriy Shevchenko has a future at Stamford Bridge despite playing just one game in the last 15 months for the Blues.

CARLO ANCELOTTI picked up his first Premier League away win as Chelsea were once again made to come from behind to claim victory.