Spain retains Euro 2012 title

Spain beat Italy 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final on Sunday, securing the Spaniards’ place in history as the first country to win three successive major finals.

David Silva put Spain ahead on 14 minutes with a close-range header from Cesc Fabregas’ cross.

Left-back Jordi Alba made it two just four minutes before half time, slotting past Gianluigi Buffon on Xavi’s through pass.

Xavi then fed Fernando Torres, who had replaced Fabregas with 15 minutes to go, to slot into the corner for 3-0; before Torres set up another substitute, Juan Mata, to score into an open net.

Italy went closest with Antonio Di Natale’s second-half shot on the turn that was saved by Iker Casillas.

The Italians, winners in 1968, had to play the final half hour with ten men after third substitute Thiago Motta limped off with a hamstring strain.

Spain, criticized for decades as football’s nearly men, become the world’s first nation to claim three European championship or World Cup titles on the trot.

They beat Germany 1-0 in Vienna to win Euro 2008; and took their maiden World Cup title two years ago in Johannesburg, edging the Netherlands 1-0 on Andres Iniesta’s extra-time strike. <Cihan>

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