UEFA’s official tournament website for UEFA EURO 2008™, euro2008.com, and the organisation’s official website, uefa.com, have been recognised by the 2009 Ultimate Sports Website Awards published by SportBusiness.com.

The awards, introduced to salute the increasingly important role that an effective online presence plays in sport and commerce, range from attracting and engaging fans to delivering profile for sponsors and cost-effective revenue generation. In total, the awards were made in six categories: Content, community, style, monetisation, partnership activation and attracting new fans.

euro2008.com, which had set traffic records for a tournament website, won three awards:

• Best overall event site
• Best content for an event site
• Best site for attracting new fans (event site)

“The slogan used for euro2008.com was ‘For the fans, by the fans’ so we are delighted to have been recognised by SportBusiness as having the best event site for attracting new fans,” said David Farrelly, Head of Content at UEFA Media Technologies. “Winning best content and best overall event site is also a fantastic achievement and the perfect reward for the whole uefa.com team – editorial, production and commercial – who were involved in delivering the euro2008.com project.”

In addition, UEFA’s flagship website, uefa.com landed a fourth award, having been named as the best site for attracting new fans (Federation or league sector).

Aalborg, Aalborg
Thursday 19 March 2009 – 21.00CET (21.00 local time)
Matchday 9 – Round of 16, second leg

Aalborg BK face an uphill task if they are to deny Manchester City FC their third Danish scalp of the season, with a 2-0 loss in England last week having left them needing a big result in their UEFA Cup Round of 16 decider.

• First-half goals from Felipe Caicedo and Shaun Wright-Phillips put City firmly in control of the tie, with AaB failing to make the most of their chances as they returned to Manchester following their 2-2 UEFA Champions League group-stage draw at Manchester United FC earlier this season.
• Prior to this campaign, City had never played a Superligaen side but broke their Danish duck when they met FC Midtjylland in the second qualifying round. They traded 1-0 home defeats with Midtjylland before prevailing 4-2 on penalties.
• City then overcame FC København in the Round of 32, drawing 2-2 in Denmark and winning 2-1 at home. Thus their record against Danish sides now reads P5 W3 D1 L1. Their two away games in Denmark ended in a draw and a win.
• AaB are the second non-English side to face both City and their local rivals Manchester United in competitive games in the same season. Juventus accounted for both Manchester clubs in the 1976/77 UEFA Cup, beating City 2-1 on aggregate in the first round and then overcoming United 3-1 overall in their next tie. AaB lost 3-0 at home to United in this season’s UEFA Champions League group stage but earned a creditable 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.
• AaB have never won against an English side, with their record reading P6 W0 D2 L4. Their home games against English teams have produced a goalless draw and a defeat. They have never scored at home against an English club.
• Prior to this season, City manager Mark Hughes had only encountered Danish opposition four times in competitive games as a player and coach – all at international level. In the preliminary round of the 1988 UEFA European Championship, Wales won 1-0 at home and lost 1-0 away against Denmark. In the qualifiers for UEFA EURO 2000™, with Hughes in the dugout, Wales won 2-1 away and lost 2-0 at home to the Danes.
• AaB’s Swedish coach Magnus Pehrsson had never come up against English opponents prior to the first leg. The former Djurgårdens IF FF midfielder was coach at GAIS Göteborg before agreeing to become AaB’s third coach of the season. Pehrsson briefly played in England for Bradford City AFC, making one loan appearance in the 1996/97 season.
• Former Scottish international Bruce Rioch – who had replaced title-winning boss Erik Hamrén after his move to Rosenborg BK – was in charge at AaB for the start of the UEFA Champions League group stage, overseeing the 3-0 loss to United and quitting after a 6-3 defeat by Villarreal CF.
• He was replaced by his assistant Allan Kuhn on a temporary basis, with the caretaker overseeing an impressive 12-game unbeaten run which included the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.
• City boast Danish talent in the form of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, whose father Peter was a team-mate of Hughes’s at Manchester United.
• City have lost just once in ten European games since their home defeat against Midtjylland, going down 3-1 at Real Racing Club in their final UEFA Cup group-stage game.
• That loss to Racing was their only defeat in their last nine European away trips.
• Defeat at City ended AaB’s five-match unbeaten European run, and their record of scoring at least twice in their previous six matches.
• United are the only team to have beaten AaB at home this season, with their other five home games producing four wins and a draw.
• City have only once lost a European tie after winning the home leg, losing 2-0 at Juventus in the first round of the 1976/77 UEFA Cup after a 1-0 victory at Maine Road.
• AaB have won one European tie despite trailing from the away leg, winning 3-0 at home against HJK Helsinki in last season’s UEFA Cup second qualifying round after losing 2-1 in Finland.
• City defender Berti Glauber and AaB counterpart Michael Beauchamp were team-mates at German side 1. FC
Nürnberg between 2006 and 2008.
• AaB midfielder Andreas Johansson spent two-and-a-half years in the Premier League with Wigan Athletic FC between 2005 and 2007. He played two games against the Blues at the City of Manchester Stadium, a 1-0 FA Cup loss and a 1-0 Premier League win.
• Norwegian defender Kjetil Wæhler also played in England, representing Wimbledon FC from 1999 to 2002.
• AaB’s Jamaican striker Luton Shelton scored the opening goal in Sheffield United FC’s 2-1 2007/08 FA Cup fourth round win at home against City. His time with the Blades ran from January 2007 to July 2008.
• AaB are one of four sides left in the UEFA Cup who qualified for European competition as domestic league champions, the others being Galatasaray A? (Turkey), FC Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) and FC Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia).
• Shaun Wright-Phillips’s strike against AaB saw him move to the top of City’s top scorers list for the season with three goals since the first round of the UEFA Cup.
• Anders Due’s two goals against RC Deportivo La Coruña in the Round of 32 saw him take over as AaB’s top European scorer this season with three goals since the start of the UEFA Champions League group stage. He also scored twice in qualifying, but these goals do not count towards his total.
• City qualified for the UEFA Cup through the UEFA Fair Play system and reached the Round of 32 as Group A
winners. They beat AaB’s Danish rivals København to reach the Round of 16, drawing 2-2 in Copenhagen and winning 2-1 at home.
• Danish champions in 2007/08, AaB’s third-place finish in Group E of the UEFA Champions League earned them a place in the UEFA Cup Round of 32. They made light work of Depor in coach Pehrsson’s first games in charge, winning 3-0 at home and 3-1 in Spain.
• AaB’s only penalty shoot-out in UEFA competition to date ended in a 4-2 spot-kick defeat by HNK Hajduk Split in the first round of the 1987/88 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. The tie had finished 1-1 on aggregate.
• The 4-2 success at Midtjylland in this season’s UEFA Cup second qualifying round was City’s first penalty shoot-out in UEFA competition.
• AaB’s Thomas Enevoldsen misses the game through suspension, with team-mates Jeppe Curth and Michael
Jakobsen within a booking of a ban.
• City’s Elano Blumer, Micah Richards and Pablo Zabaleta will miss their team’s next European game if they are booked.
• The draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals takes place

180 Clubs Representing 24 National Associations Receive Solidarity Payments

The European Club Association (ECA) is pleased to announce that UEFA has finalised the financial calculations regarding the highly successful UEFA EURO 2008(TM), and payments can now be made to the national associations for them to pass on to their clubs for their contribution to the successful final tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

These payments form part of the agreement of the historic Memorandum of Understanding, signed between UEFA and ECA on 21 January 2008 that allowed for the dissolution of the so-called G-14 and enabled harmony to return to European club football, and approved by the UEFA Executive Committee at their Zagreb meeting of 29/30 January 2008. The Memorandum of Understanding followed a letter of intent signed by FIFA, UEFA and representatives of the European clubs at the home of FIFA, in Zurich, on 15 January 2008.

The target total amount set for distribution to the national associations from UEFA EURO 2008(TM) was fixed at EUR43.5 million. For UEFA EURO 2012(TM) the target total amount to be distributed is set at EUR55 million, provided the final financial results of UEFA EURO 2012(TM) are substantially similar to those of UEFA EURO 2008(TM).

A total of 180 clubs are set to benefit from their contribution to the success of the final round of UEFA EURO 2008(TM), and together they represent 24 of UEFA’s 53 national associations. For the full list of the clubs, and the total amount received by each club click here. For the full amount per national association click here.

The top three clubs providing players for UEFA EURO 2008(TM) in order were first Werder Bremen, with a total payment of EUR1,093,732, Olympique Lyonnais (EUR1,039,115) and FC Bayern München (EUR1,018,109). Furthermore, clubs which are not currently playing in their top division (Grazer AK, NK Istra Pula, Birmingham City FC, Reading FC, Southampton FC, Sheffield United FC, FC Metz, RC Lens, ES Troyes, FC Kaiserslautern, FSV Mainz 05, KS Hutnik Kraków, GKS Górnik Leczna, Desportivo Aves, FC Kuban Krasnodar, FK Torpedo Moskva, Real Club Celta de Vigo and Vestel Manisaspor) also received a share. Clubs from national associations such as Belgium, Denmark, Ukraine and Moldova, which had no national team at UEFA EURO 2008(TM), will also benefit from payments.

Each club’s share is calculated by the “per player per day” amount multiplied by the number of days each player was at UEFA EURO 2008(TM). The period of time over which the calculation is based begins two weeks before the first match of the player’s national team and ends on the day after the team is eliminated. From this calculation, the relevant percentage of the share is calculated for passing on to the club(s) with which the player was registered in the two years prior to the start of the final tournament.

In order to be eligible for a share of the benefits from UEFA EURO 2008(TM) and for UEFA EURO 2012(TM) clubs were asked to fill in, sign and return a Club Application Form to UEFA, in which they agreed to support national team competitions and to comply with the FIFA regulations on the release of players. Some 636 clubs duly filled in, signed and returned the forms.

Commenting on the payments UEFA President, Michel Platini, said: “It is a testament to the new harmony in European football, and the willingness of associations and clubs to cooperate for the good of the game, that we are able to deliver to the clubs a tangible benefit for their contribution to UEFA EURO 2008(TM).”

“We witnessed a truly fantastic UEFA European Football Championship this summer, both on and off the pitch, one where respect was shown by players, officials and fans alike, and I am pleased that the clubs can now also be a part of that.”

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Chairman of the European Club Association, said: “The European Club Association very much welcomes today’s announcement. It marks a historic moment in recognizing and rewarding the important contribution that football clubs make to the success of European level national team competitions such as EURO 2008(TM). It also underlines the collaborative spirit within the football family in Europe as together we work to shape the future of our game.”

ECA

The European Club Association is the sole, independent body representing football clubs at European level, and takes its place at the high table of European football along with UEFA, and official bodies representing players and the leagues.

The formation of ECA marks an end to disharmony in the European football family, and clears the way for the collaboration of all parties in building the future of the game in Europe. Through ECA, and for the first time in some years, clubs now have a powerful voice in decision-making that shapes the future of professional football in Europe.

ECA replaces the G-14 group and the European Club Forum both dissolved early in 2008 and is fully recognized by UEFA and FIFA. ECA is committed to play a major and constructive role in helping shape the future of football, for the benefit of all concerned with the game.

The UEFA EURO 2008™ ‘Score for the Red Cross’ campaign raised half a million euros which will be used to
help mine victims in Afghanistan rebuild their lives.

June’s UEFA EURO 2008™ tournament in Austria and Switzerland not only offered spectators exciting football; it also provided them with a chance to contribute towards important humanitarian activities.

Through the ‘Score for the Red Cross’ campaign run jointly by UEFA and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) fans could support their national teams while also providing funds to help landmine victims in Afghanistan walk again and play an active role in society. Donations will also support activities of 16 of the participating National Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.

UEFA pledged EUR 4,000 for each actual goal scored during the tournament. There were 77 goals resulting in a total donation of EUR 308,000. In addition, fans contributed more than EUR 200,000 via the web-based campaign where they were able to purchase virtual goals for their favourite teams and help them win the title of most charitable team. Germany won the fundraising competition and showed their humanitarian commitment by donating the largest amount, followed by Spain and the Netherlands.

“I would like to thank football fans for their generous support and the solidarity they showed with mine victims, and congratulate Germany on their fine win,” said UEFA’s director of communications, William Gaillard. “Thanks also to the Austrian FA, Swiss Tourism and TEAM, who were among the many institutions which joined the fans in scoring for the Red Cross and made significant pledges to help make a difference.”

In addition to emergency treatment, victims of landmines require years of rehabilitation and assistance to gain self sufficiency. Recognising this need, the ICRC also provides vocational training and help getting a job.

“The needs are great in Afghanistan,” said Alberto Cairo, head of the ICRC’s programme for the war-disabled in Afghanistan. ”Sadly, the number of people who have lost limbs or suffered other injuries as a consequence of landmines is huge. Out of the 15,000 people who seek assistance at our limb fitting centre each year, over 3,500 will be helped thanks to the generosity of football fans.”

For details please see: www.scorefortheredcross.org

Continental AG has Reached its Most Important Targets and is Now Looking Forward to the 2010 FIFA World Cup 2010(TM) in South Africa

The international automobile industry supplier and premium tire manufacturer was host to more than 1,700 customers and representatives from the media in Austria and Switzerland at driving events during UEFA EURO 2008(TM), who were impressed by the broad range of Continental products available for use in automobiles for today and tomorrow.

After UEFA EURO 2008(TM) is before the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM): Just a few weeks after the end of the European football championship in Austria and Switzerland, Continental AG has already begun first preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) in about two years time in South Africa. “After this excellently mastered challenge and such an inspiring event we are directing our attention simultaneously to intensive analysis of all data surrounding the European football championship and are looking to the future again,” stated Dr. Alan Hippe, the man on the Continental board of directors responsible for the Passenger Car Tires Division.

Continental AG definitely reached its most important goals for sponsoring of UEFA EURO 2008(TM). “Even though it is going to take a few weeks to get all of the relevant numbers and facts on the table it is already possible today to state that: The increase in the degree to which we are known in the industry and further emotionalisation of premium brands from Continental were just as successful as integration of the event into business relationships – in particular with specialist tire dealers,” stressed Dr. Hippe.

“In our most important markets such as Italy, Russia, Poland, and naturally also in our domestic market of Germany, we succeeded both in achieving highly conspicuous perimeter advertising on the edge of the playing field but also of directing attention to our premium brands with the aid of TV presentings,” stated Dr. Hippe. “A total of more than eight billion TV viewers at the transmissions on the screen are expected. The TV ratings from the Quarter Final stage reached as high as over 80 percent. We are also firmly of the opinion that we were able to increase our presence in the industry in the most important non-European growth regions such as in South America and Asia.” Furthermore, Continental was also present as an Official Sponsor on the official championship website www.euro2008.com which has seen over 1.3 billion hits since February 2008 which made it, head and shoulders above the rest, the most visited sport internet site ever.

Hippe also referred to the fact that Continental was able to greet and host about 3,500 customers and representatives from the media as hospitality guests during the three week event. More than 1,700 of them used the opportunity at the driving events of the ContiSafetyExperience at the driving safety centre of ÖAMTC in Teesdorf near Vienna and TCS in Betzholz near Zurich to “experience” Continental top technologies for automobiles for today and tomorrow in the purest sense of the word and thereby to have the opportunity to question the roughly 80 vehicle attendants and experts about the products.

“We consistently integrated sponsoring – like we did already for the 2006 FIFA World Cup(TM) – into all modules of our product communication and in our accompanying measures during the championship and have thereby consistently and continuously continued with our brand presence,” explained the project manager Michael Kohl. From transporting guests over arranging the hotel lounges, at the ContiSafetyExperience as well as in the hospitality areas in Vienna and Salzburg, as well as in Bern and Basel, right through to appearances in the eight fan zones – such a high brand recognition for the brand presence was achieved.

“At the ContiSafetyExperience it was very important for us to have the combination of tire safety topics like wet braking from 80 km/h to a full stop with profile depths of 8, 3 and 1.6 millimeters or a braking attempt from 30 km/h with focus on the matching of concept tires to the Electronic Stability Controlling (ESC), with future technologies such as the Intelligent Tire System (ITS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), hybrid drive, Car-to-Car communication solutions or air suspension systems for off-road vehicles,” said Ralf Hoffmann, Continental Brand Manager for the passenger car replacement tire business in Europe and project manager for the ContiSafetyExperience.

Continental was also present with its own presence in the eight fan zones of the sports event sites which, according to information from UEFA, were visited by more than four million football fans. The company also engaged in Germany as the sponsor of 14 public viewing events at selected universities. Furthermore, the football portal www.ContiSoccerWorld.com with more than one million unique users in June as well as the online game platform www.ContiFanWorld.com have been established as an attractive building block in the communication mix.

The multimedia DVD “Our road to Vienna”, which was offered to the media representatives in the eight media centres at UEFA EURO 2008(TM), is currently being completely reworked in order to be in a position by the beginning of September to offer complete documentation with videos, announcements and pictures of the whole activities. “That is – if one so will – our balance from the mountain tour 2008,” said Dr. Hippe, who will also personally intensively involve himself in preparations for the world football championship. “We now have the leading market position in the South African replacement tire business with a market share using locally produced tires of more than 20 percent. In Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Continental has a works for passenger car tires where about 2.6 million tires were produced in 2007 by a total of 1,600 employees and were sold both in the OEM business sector and in the replacement tire business sector,” stated Dr. Hippe. Furthermore Continental, with its works for commercial vehicle tires – also in Port Elizabeth – serves the demand south of the Sahara and thus also that in the sports events sites country for the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup(TM).

With annual sales of more than EUR25 billion (based on 2006 figures), the Continental Corporation is one of the top five automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of tires, brake systems, powertrain and chassis systems and components, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics and technical elastomers, the Corporation contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. The corporation currently employs approximately 150,000 people at more than 200 locations in 36 countries.

Continental’s tire divisions are an official sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) in South Africa. For more information, check out http://www.ContiSoccerWorld.com, http://www.ContiFanWorld.com and

Source: Continental AG

Total of 286 out-of-competition and in-tournament tests conducted

UEFA has taken an important step in the fight against doping by introducing systematic blood controls, in addition to urine doping controls, during UEFA EURO 2008™. In the testing programme, a total of 286 urine and blood tests were conducted by UEFA doping control officers, and the good news for football is that all of the tests proved to be negative.

Before the start of the final tournament in Austria and Switzerland, and during the weeks of preparation, all 16 teams were tested, totally unannounced. Ten players per team were drawn, which meant that a total of 160 players were tested out-of-competition. The WADA-accredited laboratory of Seibersdorf near Vienna then analysed all samples (both blood and urine samples) and all the results proved negative.

Then, during the final tournament, players were selected at all 31 matches and tested. Two players per team were randomly drawn to undergo the doping control and, in addition, some players were target tested. The WADA-accredited laboratory of Lausanne analysed all the samples (both blood and urine samples) and again all results were negative.

No sports federation has gone so far with detection methods such as the ones used at UEFA EURO 2008™. All the usual prohibited substances and methods were searched for in urine tests – stimulants, anabolic steroids, diuretics, corticosteroids and erythropoietin (EPO). In addition, IRMS (isotope ratio mass spectrometry) was conducted on all samples collected in-competition, which is a method that allows testers to identify whether a substance found is endogenous (produced by the body naturally) or exogenous (not capable of being produced by the body naturally).

Thanks also to the actual detection methods used for the blood testing, further prohibited substances and methods can be detected, such as blood transfusions, artificial haemoglobin (HBOC), and human grow hormone (hGH). The current method for detecting human growth hormone was accepted by WADA shortly before UEFA’s out-of-competition programme began, and was therefore something of a ‘world premiere’ for UEFA. All results will be communicated to WADA in preparation for the Olympic Games of Beijing, where this method will also be used.

Dr Michel D’Hooghe, Chairman of the UEFA Medical Committee, said after his visit to the WADAaccredited laboratory in Lausanne: “I was impressed, not only by the high-class equipment the laboratory uses, but also by the impressive range of examinations they can do in a short period of time. Everything is done in 24 hours (…) The work done here is world-class.”

GERMANY – SPAIN 0-1

Spain became European champions for the second time after Fernando Torres’s first-half goal in Vienna proved enough to defeat Germany in the final of UEFA EURO 2008™.

Team statistics

Spain will seek to end their 44-year wait for silverware when they take on Germany in the final of UEFA EURO 2008™ in Vienna.

• Spain’s sole previous success on the international stage came in 1964, when as hosts they defeated the USSR to win the UEFA European Championship.

• Standing in their way, however, are the most formidable opponents in the history of the competition. Germany are competing in a record sixth final – and aiming to lift the Henri Delaunay trophy for the fourth time after earlier triumphs in 1972, 1980 and 1996.

• Joachim Löw’s Germany reached the final by defeating Turkey 3-2 in a compelling semi-final contest in Basel on Wednesday. After falling behind to U?ur Boral’s 22nd-minute strike, Bastian Schweinsteiger drew Germany level four minutes later. Miroslav Klose’s 79th-minute header then sparked a frantic finale in which Semih ?entürk drew Turkey level again before Philipp Lahm’s last-minute winner.

• Spain followed Germany into the final 24 hours later with a resounding 3-0 victory against Russia in Vienna. Luis Aragonés’s men did not look back after Xavi Hernández had volleyed them in front five minutes into the second period, adding further goals through Daniel Güiza (73) and David Silva (82).

• If Spain can take the final step and defeat Germany, their coach Aragonés will become the oldest man to guide a team to UEFA European Championship glory. He will be 69 years and 338 days old on the day of the final.

• Spain are aiming to become the first team since France in 1984 to capture the UEFA European Championship following a clean sweep of wins in the group stage.

• They began impressively with David Villa scoring a hat-trick in a 4-1 defeat of Russia. With his three goals (20, 44, 75), Villa became the first player since 2000 to score a hat-trick on this illustrious stage before setting up the fourth goal for Cesc Fàbregas (90+1) after Roman Pavlyuchenko (86) had reduced the deficit.

• Spain then beat Sweden 2-1 in their second Group D outing, Villa scoring the winner two minutes into added time after Fernando Torres (15) and Zlatan Ibrahimovi? (34) had swapped goals. With that success, Spain secured first place in the section and maintained their momentum by then defeating Greece 2-1 through a Güiza strike two minutes from the end after Rubén de la Red (61) had cancelled out Angelos Charisteas’s first-half effort.

• Spain strengthened the feeling that this might be their year by overcoming world champions Italy in the quarter-finals. No Spanish team had beaten Italy in a competitive fixture since 1920 but Aragonés’s side laid to rest that hoodoo with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory after a goalless draw.

• After Iker Casillas had saved penalties from Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Di Natale, Fàbregas stepped up to send Spain into the last four. Of Spain’s four other takers, Villa, Santi Cazorla and Marcos Senna all scored before Güiza was foiled by Gianluigi Buffon.

• With four goals, Spain striker Villa leads the scorers’ chart ahead of the final and could become the first player since Marco van Basten in 1988 to celebrate winning the trophy and finish outright top scorer at the same time.

• Germany began their campaign in Group B by defeating Poland 2-0 through two goals from Lukas Podolski but they then suffered a hiccup when losing 2-1 to Croatia, Podolski’s 79th-minute effort scant consolation after Darijo Srna and Ivica Oli? had struck for the opposition.

• Löw’s men recovered sufficient composure to defeat co-hosts Austria 1-0 in Vienna, through Michael Ballack’s second-half free-kick, and claim second place in the section and they then raised their game to eliminate Portugal in the quarter-finals. Germany raced into a 2-0 lead through goals from Schweinsteiger and Klose and although Nuno Gomes pulled one back, Ballack’s headed third ensured a German victory despite Hélder Postiga’s late reply for Portugal.

• Germany have won three and lost two of their five previous UEFA European Championship finals. German supporters of a superstitious bent may want to avoid studying their sequence of results, given each final victory (1972, 1980, 1996) has so far been followed by a defeat (1976, 1992).

• As West Germany, the Mannschaft claimed the Henri Delaunay trophy for the first time by defeating the USSR 3-0 in Brussels in 1972, Gerd Müller (27, 58) and Herbert Wimmer (52) the scorers.

• Four years later the Germans went down 5-3 on penalties to Czechoslovakia following a 2-2 draw in Belgrade but they bounced back in 1980 with a 2-1 final triumph against Belgium in Rome. Horst Hrubesch was the hero, getting the winner two minutes from time after René Vandereycken (75) had cancelled out his tenth-minute opener.

• After losing the 1992 final to Denmark in Gothenburg, Germany celebrated a third European crown at the next tournament in England. Oliver Bierhoff, now the Mannschaft’s team manager, was the hero at Wembley, cancelling out Patrik Berger’s penalty (59) with a 73rd-minute header before striking the winner five minutes into extra time with the first-ever golden goal.

• This is the third time Spain have contested the final of the UEFA European Championship.

• Spain lifted the Henri Delaunay trophy in 1964 when they beat reigning champions USSR 2-1 in Madrid. ‘Chus’ Pereda opened the scoring for Spain inside six minutes at the Santiago Bernabéu and although Galimzian Khusainov drew the Soviets level two minutes later, Marcelino made sure of a home triumph with Spain’s second goal after 84 minutes.

• Twenty years later they lost the 1984 final to hosts France, succumbing to goals from Michel Platini (57) and Bruno Bellone (90) at the Parc des Princes.

• Germany have had the better of the sides’ head-to-head meetings, recording eight wins to Spain’s five with six matches drawn.

• Spain won the most recent encounter 3-1 in Palma de Mallorca on 12 February 2003. Raúl González opened the scoring after 32 minutes and although Fredi Bobic (38) equalised for Germany, Raúl restored Spain’s advantage with a 77th-minute penalty before Guti (83) added a third.

• The teams that day were:

Spain: Iker Casillas (Santiago Cañizares 84), Míchel Salgado, Carles Puyol, César Martín (Iván Helguera 46), Agustín Aranzábal, Joaquín Sánchez (Jose María Etxeberría 69), David Albelda, Rubén Baraja (Guti 74), Vicente Rodríguez, Raúl González (José Mari 84), Diego Tristán (Xavi Hernández 74).

Germany: Oliver Kahn, Arne Friedrich, Christian Wörns, Christoph Metzelder, Tobias Rau (Frank Baumann 51, Hannko Balitsch 62), Bernd Schneider (Paul Freier 74), Jens Jeremies, Carsten Ramelow, Jorg Böhme, Fredi Bobic (Benjamin Lauth 59), Miroslav Klose (Oliver Neuville 82).

• Ballack is the only survivor from the last occasion Germany beat Spain, a 4-1 victory for the Mannschaft in Hannover in August 2000, when Alexander Zickler and Mehmet Scholl struck two goals apiece.

• Germany have won three of the rivals’ five previous encounters in major final tournaments.

• In UEFA European Championship final tournaments, though, it is honours even. Hosts West Germany defeated Spain 2-0 in the group stage in 1988 through two Rudi Völler goals, while four years previously Spain secured a last-gasp 1-0 victory against the Germans at the same stage of the competition. Antonio Maceda’s 90th-minute header in Paris sent the Spanish into the semi-finals at the expense of the eliminated holders.

• On the FIFA World Cup stage, Germany came from behind to send Spain home from the 1966 finals, winning 2-1 in their deciding group game. The Mannschaft also ended Spain’s interest in the 1982 World Cup after beating the hosts 2-1 in the second group stage. It finished 1-1 when the teams met for the third time in the World Cup in the first round at USA ’94.

• As a player, Spain coach Aragonés did not enjoy good fortune against German opposition. He scored in extra time for Club Atlético de Madrid in the 1974 European Champion Clubs’ Cup final against FC Bayern München in Brussels but the German side snatched a 120th-minute equaliser and went on to win the replay 4-0.

• Aragonés had earlier played in the Atlético side defeated 2-1 on aggregate by BV Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-finals in 1965/66.

• His first engagement with German opposition as a coach came in the 1975/76 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup second round against Eintracht Frankfurt, Aragonés’s Atlético side going down 2-1 at home and 1-0 away. There was more disappointment in store against Hamburger SV in the semi-finals of the same competition the next season, when Atlético’s 3-1 first-leg win was undone by a 3-0 reverse in Germany.

• Aragonés also tasted defeat with Atlético against 1. FC Dynamo Dresden in 1979/80 UEFA Cup first round and it was not until 1996/97 that he enjoyed his first success against a German club, his Valencia CF side running out 3-1 aggregate winners against then holders Bayern in the UEFA Cup first round. More disappointment was just around the corner, however, FC Schalke 04 defeating Valencia 3-1 over two legs in the quarter-finals en route to lifting the trophy.

• Germany coach Löw, by contrast, has never before met Spanish opposition as a head coach or player in official competition.

• Germany captain Ballack is aiming to avoid an unwanted double having finished on the losing side with Chelsea FC in last month’s UEFA Champions League final.

• Only four players previously have made up for defeat in a European Cup final by winning the continental title in the same year with their country: Ignacio Zoco and Amancio Amaro (1964, Real Madrid CF and Spain) and Manny Kaltz and Hörst Hrubesch (1980, Hamburg and West Germany).

• Ballack has also experienced losing a final against Spanish opposition when Bayer 04 Leverkusen went down 2-1 to Real Madrid at the conclusion of the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League campaign. Spain goalkeeper Casillas finished on the opposing side that day after taking the field as a 68th-minute substitute.

• Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann suffered the same fate as Ballack with Arsenal FC in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League final against an FC Barcelona side featuring Spanish internationals Carles Puyol and Andrés Iniesta. Xavi was an unused Barcelona substitute that night, while his Spain midfield colleague Fàbregas featured in the Arsenal team.

• Lehmann and Fàbregas are not the only rivals in Vienna with a club connection. Germany defender Christoph Metzelder is a team-mate of Spain duo Casillas and Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid CF, while Germany winger David Odonkor plays in the same Real Betis Balompié side as Spain centre-back Juanito.

• Germany have been involved in six penalty shoot-outs down the years. They lost the first against Czechoslovakia in the 1976 UEFA European Championship final but won the next five, beating France (1982 World Cup), Mexico (1986 World Cup), England (1990 World Cup), England (EURO ’96™) and Argentina (2006 World Cup).

• Spain’s shoot-out win against Italy was their third in six attempts. They beat Denmark 5-4 on penalties in the 1984 UEFA European Championship semi-finals but lost to Belgium in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals and to England at the same stage of EURO ’96™. After beating the Republic of Ireland on spot-kicks in the last 16 of the 2002 World Cup, in the next round they succumbed 5-3 in a shoot-out against Korea Republic.

• Xavi, Puyol, Joan Capdevila and Carlos Marchena were part of the Spain team beaten on penalties by Cameroon in the final of the 2000 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament. Xavi and Capdevila scored the first two kicks for a Spain side beaten 5-3 in the shoot-out after a 2-2 draw.

• Torres scored the only goal of the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Championship final against Germany in Oslo. Iniesta was also in the Spain team while Germany’s side included Piotr Trochowski, Lahm and Odonkor. Twelve months earlier, Torres had struck the winner for Spain’s U16s when they beat France 1-0 to claim the European title.

• Pepe Reina was in the Spain team that prevailed 4-0 against Germany in the semi-finals of the UEFA European U16 Championship in 1999. Thomas Hitzlsperger was on the losing team and the Spanish went on to beat Poland 4-1 in the final.

• Casillas helped Spain to a 2-1 win against Germany in the U16 semi-finals in 1997 before they subsequently defeated Austria on penalties in the final.

• At U17 level, Fàbregas was in the Spain side that lost 2-1 to France in the 2004 final, while Silva was in the team beaten by Portugal by the same scoreline a year earlier.

• This is the 13th edition of the UEFA European Championship. The rundown of previous finals is:

1960 USSR 2-1 Yugoslavia

1964 Spain 2-1 USSR

1968 Italy 2-0 Yugoslavia (replay after 1-1 draw)

1972 West Germany 3-0 USSR

1976 Czechoslovakia 2-2 West Germany (5-3 on penalties)

1980 West Germany 2-1 Belgium

1984 France 2-0 Spain

1988 Netherlands 2-0 USSR

1992 Denmark 2-0 Germany

1996 Germany 2-1 Czech Republic

2000 France 2-1 Italy

2004 Greece 1-0 Portugal

• Poland and Ukraine will stage the UEFA EURO 2012™ finals.

Ernst Happel, Vienna
Sunday 29 June 2008 – 20.45CET (20.45 local time)

Germany coach Joachim Löw and his Spain counterpart Luis Aragonés are both hoping UEFA EURO 2008™ will come to a suitably exciting conclusion as their sides prepare to meet in the final on Sunday evening.

‘Intensive match’

The first 30 games of the tournament have yielded 76 goals, and the coaches are optimistic that pattern will continue at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion. Germany’s Joachim Löw – whose side won 3-2 in both the quarter- and semi-finals against Portugal and Turkey respectively and are looking for their fourth European title – is anticipating an open encounter. “It’s going to be a very intensive match,” he said. “Both Spain and Germany have good players and like to go forward so it’s going to be very interesting. We tried to make certain corrections after we lost to Croatia [in the group stage], but when we’re against a team who play attacking football we can reach that level and keep up. Technically speaking, both teams have strong offensive players. It will be a fast, flexible and variable match.”

‘Long hard road’

German hopes would be damaged by the absence of Michael Ballack, who has missed training for the last two days due to a calf problem, while Thorsten Frings should replace Simon Rolfes in midfield. Despite the doubts surrounding the participation of his captain, Löw is in bullish mood, confidently proclaiming: “I expect to win, of course. We have a long, hard road behind us over the past few weeks. This tournament was tough for all players and all teams, it took up a lot of strength but now we’re in the final and we’re going to gather all our efforts to win and take the cup back to Germany.”

Contrasting fortunes

While Germany are familiar faces at this level – this is their sixth European showpiece and four of Löw’s squad appeared in the 2002 FIFA World Cup final – for Spain this is unchartered territory. La Furia Roja’s last appearance in a major final was 24 years ago, a 2-0 EURO defeat by France, and their sole silverware came in the 1964 UEFA European Championship, yet if their coach is feeling weighed down by history he was not inclined to admit as much. “I’m fine, the players are fine,” said Aragonés. “My greatest concern is my team. Germany are very strong, and their set-pieces are very dangerous. We know they don’t have such a flowing game as us but they counterattack with speed and we need to learn how to stop that. It might be of concern to me, but I’m sure Germany are concerned the football we play with the ball on the ground could cause them problems.”

Winning farewell

In the absence of the tournament’s four-goal top scorer David Villa due to a thigh injury, Aragonés – who will step down after the match – is expected to stick with the five-man midfield that functioned so effectively in Thursday’s 3-0 semi-final win, against Russia, deploying Cesc Fàbregas behind lone striker Fernando Torres. “We’ll be able to get into the area less but will be stronger in midfield,” he explained. “I haven’t decided anything yet, perhaps we’ll have two forwards. Every team needs a good atmosphere. I’ve seen great teams with great players and if you don’t have a good atmosphere you can’t win. This is what’s brought us to the final. Let’s just hope we play well and win.”

Casillas ready to step into unknown

Spain captain Iker Casillas said he feels responsible for “44 million people” as he and his team-mates prepare to enter the uncharted territory of a UEFA European Championship final.

‘Nervous’

The Real Madrid CF goalkeeper has claimed a veritable bounty of silverware since being crowned as a European champion with Spain Under-15s in 1995, including two UEFA Champions League titles, yet he insists he will break new ground when he leads La Furia Roja out to take on Germany in the UEFA EURO 2008™ final. “It’s very different,” he said. “Reaching a Champions League final with Real Madrid has no bearing on reaching this final. Many of us are used to playing against other important club teams in Europe but this tournament is every four years. It’s very difficult to reach a final and that gives you an added responsibility; it makes you more nervous. Speaking for myself, I’m looking forward to it very much. But I feel responsible for my team-mates and 44 million people.”

‘Horrible statistic’

That is a sizeable burden to place on the shoulders of a man who, less we forget, is still only 27. He will become the first goalkeeper to captain a side to UEFA European Championship final victory if Spain prevail at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion, and admits the thought has crossed his mind. “Everybody has five minutes of dreaming before they go to sleep which is free of charge, but the most important thing is that when the moment arrives we’re aware that only one team can win and only one man can lift the cup,” he said. “Hopefully Spain can be that team. We have the chance to break this horrible statistic for Spain. We haven’t won an international title for a long time. We were very near 24 years ago but didn’t manage to win.”

‘Break the mould’

In 1984 a mistake from Spain keeper Luis Arconada proved the decisive moment as Michel Platini capitalised to put France ahead, Bruno Bellone’s last-minute strike ending Spanish hopes of a first title since 1964. Yet Casillas is determined that there will be no repeat. “There are good and bad things about reaching a final; if you lose the journey is not worth it, but if you win it certainly is,” he said. “Spanish players have come a long way and we can now break the mould as we’re one step away from winning. We have everything it takes to put in a great performance. ” Having helped end a run of three penalty shoot-out losses – all on 23 June –in the quarter-finals and in doing so claim a first competitive victory in 88 years against Italy, Casillas more than any other seems capable of casting aside the shackles of history.

Hitzlsperger plots route to glory

As Thomas Hitzlsperger prepares for what he describes as the “biggest game of my career” in Vienna on Sunday he underlined that, with or without Michael Ballack, Germany’s hopes rest on not allowing Spain room to play their own game.

‘First final’

“I feel good about this,” said the VfB Stuttgart midfielder as he savoured the atmosphere ahead of the UEFA EURO 2008™ final. “We’re all focused now and are aware how big it is, even if for most of us it will be our first final at this level.” That is certainly true of Hitzlsperger, among a host of younger players in Joachim Löw’s squad, though having played a key role as Stuttgart claimed the Bundesliga title the season before last, he has a fair idea of how to bring about success. “We have shown that we’re strong,” he said of Germany’s progress in Austria and Switzerland. “The Croatia match was not too good, but we have continued on our course since then, and focused on our objective which was to reach final.”

Close quarters

Hitzlsperger did not feature in the 2-1 loss to Croatia, but after coming on after the hour in the victory against Austria which booked a spot in the knockout rounds he has earned his place in Löw’s starting XI. Germany impressed in the 3-2 triumph over Portugal, though it took a last-minute Philipp Lahm goal to see off Turkey in the last four and Hitzlsperger sees problems that need addressing. “We’ve got to improve several things from the Turkey game, most importantly closing opponents down early,” he said. “When they [Spain] have the ball they make you run, and you can get tired early on; that shouldn’t happen. We need to close them down from the first minute and if we’re successful in that we have a good chance.

Ballack loss?

“We’ve been talking about Spain a lot; they are much improved, the best team in the finals,” the 26-year-old continued. “For us there have been difficulties; the Spaniards did not have these problems but we hope we can cause them problems and they won’t find an answer in 90 minutes.” Spain will be without the injured David Villa in Vienna though Hitzlsperger believes that they “are such a good side that they can compensate even if he’s not playing”. He was less circumspect about the prospect of Germany losing Michael Ballack to a calf knock, saying: “He’s such an important player. His main strength is his ability to score so many goals, his presence and his leadership on the pitch for the young players to look up to – that’s what we need tomorrow.”

Whichever captain climbs the stairs at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion to accept the winning trophy from UEFA President Michel Platini after the UEFA EURO 2008™ final, they will be achieving a notable first.

Modern design

The new UEFA European Championship trophy is 18cm higher and 2kg heavier than the original designed by Arthus Bertrand in 1960 and named after Henri Delaunay, the former president of the French Football Federation. The upper part of the trophy is based on the original and is also made out of sterling silver. The new trophy, created by Asprey London, has retained its historical name. It has been brought up to date to reflect the scale and size of Europe’s most prestigious international tournament.

Minor changes

It is almost an exact replica, though not quite. A small figure juggling a ball on the back of the original has been removed, as has the marble plinth. The silver base of the trophy also had to be enlarged to make it stable. The names of the winning countries that had appeared on the plinth have now been engraved on the back of the trophy, which is made of sterling silver, weighs 8kg and is 60cm tall.

Classic style

The responsibility for creating the original went to Pierre Delaunay, son of Henri, the visionary behind the competition. Henri Delaunay died in 1955 before seeing his idea come to fruition, but the new prize is testament to his enduring legacy. Unlike other designs for UEFA trophies, the new-look Henri Delaunay trophy has maintained its classic style.

‘Focal point’

Unlike the original, which was the work of the Chobillon goldsmith and was later bought by Arthus Bertrand in Paris, the making of the modern equivalent was entrusted to Asprey London. Asprey, renowned silversmiths, jewellers and goldsmiths, have a long history of trophy-making stretching back to the America’s Cup, which their sister company Garrard made in 1848. UEFA wanted to improve on the quality but also the scale of the trophy, and have a focal point for the event – it was felt that the original trophy was too small to do this.

Substantial reward

Greece‘s Theodoros Zagorakis was the last captain to lift the old trophy in Lisbon in July 2004. Whoever follows his lead will be getting his hands on an even more substantial reward.