Euro 2012 Group C: Spain, Italy, Ireland, Croatia

[souliv]

Classic love seeing the Father Ted flags

[Reece]

LINE-UPSItaly v Croatia (17:00 BST)
Italy: Buffon, Bonucci, De Rossi, Chiellini, Maggio, Marchisio, Pirlo, Thiago Motta, Giaccherni, Balotelli, Cassano. Subs: Sirigu, Ogbonna Obienza, Balzaretti, Abate, Barzagli, Montolivo, Diamanti, Nocerino, Di Natale, Borini, Giovinco, De Sanctis.

Croatia: Pletikosa, Srna, Corluka, Schildenfeld, Strinic, Rakitic, Vukojevic, Modric, Perisic, Jelavic, Mandzukic. Subs: Kelava, Simunic, Buljat, Vrsaljko, Vida, Pranjic, Badelj, Dujmovic, Kranjcar, Kalinic, Eduardo, Subasic.

Referee: Howard Webb (England)

[little dave hedgehog]

father ted

[Darkon]

So Ireland first team out of the tournament. Not the biggest surprise really, but they have showed a lot of heart.

Croatia vs Spain will be a cracker in the last round both teams needing the win (well draw in Spains case)

[wavydavy]

Sorry if posted elsewhere but apparently a 2-2 draw in the Spain-Croatia game will eliminate Italy come what may.Watch it happen.

[wavydavy]

deleted

[Shaggy]

Former Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane has ramped up his criticism of the national side, claiming boss Giovanni Trapattoni should axe the lot.

Keane hit out at the players that slumped to a tournament-ending 4-0 defeat to Spain on Thursday, and the fans for singing their praises in spite of the heavy defeat, claiming the country's attitude had to change.

But retorts from Trapattoni and goalkeeper Shay Given have done nothing to curb his ire as he demanded a complete cull, ahead of Monday's final game against Italy.

"I'm sick of this 'win, lose, we're on the booze' mentality. It has to change."

"The likes of (Robbie) Keane, Shay Given, Richard Dunne, John O'Shea and Damien Duff are picked every game as they have a big reputation. A reputation for what? They hadn't qualified for anything in 10 years.

"I'm trying to be constructive but the manager and players all have to be accountable. It's not good shrugging our shoulders and having a sing-song. It's great that they back the team during and before games - but should they really stay on long after the final whistle cheering?

"There's a danger that the players think that what has happened on the pitch is acceptable, when it's not.

"I can't think of one player who has had a good season at club level. A couple of years ago Kevin Doyle was linked with Arsenal. Now he's heading back to the Championship. Stephen Hunt has been relegated three times in five years.

"Their club form is poor and no player has come out of the two games with any credit. Not one. That's why Giovanni Trapattoni should make 11 changes against Italy tomorrow."

Keane notoriously walked out of Ireland's 2002 World Cup campaign, meaning some fans have refused to give his comments any credence.

[RichC]

He's such a ****ing idiot.

Get over yourself Roy you're not a footballer anymore and your opinions on how to manage should be based on how you've done as one!

[souliv]

Gob****e , really wish he would shut up , the one time we could of really progressed in a tournament he walked out on his team mates so he should keep his opinions to himself and as for his management career what a joke

[RichC]

Gob****e , really wish he would shut up , the one time we could of really progressed in a tournament he walked out on his team mates so he should keep his opinions to himself and as for his management career what a joke

Ahhhh he was being the bigger man though wasn't he

[Liverpel]

Body found in Polish river where missing fan last seen



POLISH TV reported today that a body was found in the Brda river in Bydgoszcz where Irish fan James Nolan was last seen in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The unidentified body was found by police searching for environmental engineering student James (21).

And sources said the body matched James's description.

Polish TVN 24 first reported the discovery of the body.

Police spokeswoman Monika Chlebicz said that an as yet unidentified body was found early Wednesday in the waters of a channel flowing through the city of Bydgoszcz, between Poznan and Gdansk where James and his fans watched the Ireland games.

The Blessington, Co Wicklow man was in Poland since June 7 for the European Championships.

Gardai said today that they were aware of local reports that a body had been found could not confirm further.

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Polish police had informed it that a body had been found but not yet identified.

A massive search operation to locate missing James resumed this morning with the Polish police commissioner making it one of his force's top priorities.

It is understood James and his Irish friends may have been involved in an altercation with Polish locals in the hours before he disappeared.

Bydgoszcz is halfway between Poznan and Gdansk, where Ireland played their Euro 2012 games, and the Irish friends stopped off on Saturday night on their way back to Poznan to watch Ireland's game against Italy.

Police divers searched the River Brda, which runs through the city, on Monday and yesterday and were doing so again today when the body was found. More than 100 officers are working on the case, and they are being assisted by top gardai.

Six of Mr Nolan's friends were in a police station yesterday to give statements, DNA samples and review CCTV footage.

And the friends who were the last to see Mr Nolan last night added their voices to appeals for information that could help locate him.

"We've have been watching CCTV all day," said Eoin Burke.

"They are helping us out as much as they can, you can see they're putting serious resources into it. You can see the signs up around town and it's on crimecall tonight."

Others in the group included Aidan Willoughby, Aaron Eustace and Adam Cullen and the local police last night said they were free to go.

Mr Eustace has said he will stay until Mr Nolan is found, although it is understood a number of the wider group of around 15 are considering leaving in the coming days because they have rented camper vans to return.

Monika Chlebicz, the spokeswoman for the regional police force, said around 100 officers were working on the case on Monday, but this had increased even further by last night. "Everything is under scrutiny," she said. "But we can't say what happened on the night."

Chief Superintendent Michael O'Sullivan is leading the delegation of gardai to Poland for the Euros, and he arrived in Bydgoszcz last night to help out Polish police with their inquiries.

"We're just liaising with the police here in terms of what assistance we can give them from Ireland."

A Twitter campaign aimed at finding Nolan, who studies environment engineering at Tallaght Institute of Technology in Dublin, was launched in Ireland with #FindJames and #JamesNolan.

- Independent.ie reporters and Fiach Kelly

[souliv]

Unfortunately it was him , RIP James , my condolences to his family

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0621/1224318358706.html

[danperkins]

Just back from the Euros, was an absolutely unbelievable experience. We were ****e but didn't expect us to get through just hoped we took get some luck. The atmosphere and the fans were incredible. That last 10 mins of the Spain game with The Fields of Athenry bellowed from the stands is something i'll never forget, was a privilege to be part of something like that.

Terrible about the young Irish lad that died. If i'm honest i'm surprised there were no more incidents like that, it's a mayhem over there. I was fairly well on most nights but it was so messy, people half naked asleep on the streets, it was nuts. Apart from drunken messes i didn't seen many bad incidents as regards fighting, which was a relief. I think the weather being a bit ****ty helped with dispersing crowds too.

Anyways unforgettable experience, was delighted to actually sleep in a bed after 8 days in a ****ing campervan. Also, heart goes out to the family of James RIP.

EDIT: Anyways if anyone is interested this was from teh stands in the last few minutes of the Spain game. Apparently German & French TV stop commentating so as to listen to this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5sI...layer_embedded

[Shaggy]

Sounds awesome.

Terrible news about James Nolan.

Did you meet Ireland's celebrity fan, the diddy licker Eamon Keegan?

[danperkins]

Sounds awesome.

Terrible news about James Nolan.

Did you meet Ireland's celebrity fan, the diddy licker Eamon Keegan?

that was hilarious, the lucky son of a bitch!!!!