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Rediff.com  » Sports » FACTBOX: Spain's emphatic Euro 2012 triumph

FACTBOX: Spain's emphatic Euro 2012 triumph

July 02, 2012 10:36 IST
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Spain retained the Euro title by convincingly beating Italy 4-0 on Sunday in Kiev. Following are interesting facts about Spain's Euro win.

-Spain are the first team to win back to back European Championships with a World Cup triumph in between. It is their third European title, equalling Germany's record.

-The four-goal winning margin was the biggest in a European Championship or World Cup final.

Spanish team celebrates Euro win-Vicente Del Bosque is only the second coach to win a European Championship and a World Cup, joining Helmut Schoen, who led West Germany to victory at the 1972 European Championship and the World Cup two years later.

-Sunday's victory was Spain's first outright win over Italy in eight major tournament matches (they won a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw in Euro 2008 quarter-finals).

-Spain striker Fernando Torres is the first player to score in two European Championship finals and wins the Euro 2012 golden boot for top-scorer, by virtue of also having an assist and having played fewer minutes than Germany's Mario Gomez who also had three goals.

-Spain are unbeaten in their last 12 European Championship finals matches and have not conceded a goal in their last five, both competition records. They have kept clean sheets in their last 10 knockout games at the European and World Cup finals.

-Their last defeat in European Championship play was a 2-0 loss to Sweden in qualifying in 2006 -- a 29-game undefeated run.

-The last time Spain lost after taking a 1-0 lead was a 3-2 defeat at Northern Ireland in September 2006.

-It is only the third time a team has scored twice before halftime in a Euros final. Italy beat Yugoslavia 2-0 in 1968 and Czechoslovakia beat West Germany on penalties in 1976 after leading 2-1 at the break.`

-Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas is only the second player along with Franz Beckenbauer (1972-1976) to captain their country in three European Championship/World Cup finals.

-Casillas is also the first player to reach 100 international wins and has a record 79 clean sheets in his 136 appearances.

-Spain midfielder David Silva was directly involved in five goals at Euro 2012 (2 goals, 3 assists), more than any other player.

-Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon passed Dino Zoff's record for the most appearances at the European/World Cup finals with his 25th game. Only Paolo Maldini (36) and Fabio Cannavaro (26) have played more times for Italy.

Photograph: Eddie Keogh / Reuters

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