Cassano fined by UEFA

AC Milan striker Antonio Cassano has received a 15,000 euros ($17,600) fine from UEFA for a discriminatory statement he made while with Italy at EURO 2012.



Cassano caused uproar when he said he hoped there were no homosexuals in the national team squad in Poland and Ukraine in the build-up to the Azzurri's second Group C match against Croatia.



He later said his comments had been misinterpreted and did not want to cause offence but UEFA has taken a dim view of his outburst.



"The UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body has fined Italy's Antonio Cassano 15,000 euros for a discriminatory press statement during UEFA EURO 2012," said a statement on the governing body's website.



"An appeal can be lodged against this decision within three days of the dispatch of the full written decision."



Cassano had responded to questions about reports in Italy which claimed there were two homosexual players in Cesare Prandelli's 23-man EURO 2012 group.



"The (national) coach had warned me that you would ask me this question," Cassano said.



"If I say what I think...I hope there are none.



"But if there are queers here, that's their business."



Cassano quickly apologised for his comments the day after.



"I sincerely regret that my statements have sparked controversy and protest from gay rights groups," said the statement on the official website of the Italian Football Federation.



"Homophobia is a sentiment that is not mine. I did not want to offend anyone and I can not question the sexual freedom of other people.



"I only said that it is a problem that does not concern me and it is not for me to pass judgment on the choices of others, who are all respected."

Ramos wants to avoid spot kicks

Spain defender Sergio Ramos hopes the Euro 2012 final against Italy is not decided by a penalty shoot-out.



Reigning European champions Spain beat Portugal 4-2 on penalties to progress from the semi-finals on Wednesday.



And Ramos does not want to see a repeat of the shootout in the final, to be played in Kiev on Sunday.



"Honestly, I would not like to go into a penalty shoot-out again," he said during a press conference.



"But we are very eager to win and for that we will need to stay humble and try to do things well, while respecting Italy.



"These days, memories of our recent past come to our mind. This motivates us to win this final and relive those incredible moments with the Spanish people."



Real Madrid defender Ramos converted his penalty against Portugal with an audacious chip, but said it was not intended as a message to those who criticised him for his failed attempt against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals.



"A lot of things were said and the truth is that they hurt my pride," Ramos said.



"But I did not take the penalty like this for any special reason, only because I was confident.



"There were many people waiting for me to miss, but that never affected me."



Andrea Pirlo has been an integral part of Italy's run to the final, but Ramos stressed the Juventus man was not the only threat to the defending champions.



"He is a unique player, one of the best in Italy, but he is not their only threat," Ramos said.



"What has taken them to the final is their collective game. There is not just one stand-alone player."



Barcelona player Cesc Fabregas, who also netted in the shootout against Portugal, also singled out Pirlo, along with strikers Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano, as Italy's danger-men.



"We will have to stop Italy's attackers, and Pirlo as well," Fabregas said.



"Balotelli is a great player and he showed it yesterday. He scored two great goals against Germany in the semi-finals.



"That says it all. I really liked the way he played. He will be a threat, like Antonio Cassano or any other player."

Spain through after penalties

Spain are through to the final of Euro 2012 after beating Portugal 4-2 win on penalties.



The defending champions, looking to reach the final of a third successive major tournament, looked sluggish throughout the match in Donetsk but in the end they prevailed with Cesc Fabregas scoring the decisive penalty to send his side through to Sunday's decider.



A match which had been expected to be one of the games of the tournament never really fizzled into life with both sides squandering chances. Indeed, Spain had to wait until the 67th minute to have a shot on target and it was somewhat inevitable that extra time would be needed.



Despite looking lethargic during the regulation 90 minutes it was Spain who looked more life scoring in the extra half an hour, but Portugal's defence held firm and the clock ticked towards a shootout.



Xavi Alonso missed the first penalty but Joao Moutinho's effort was saved by Iker Casillas to hand the advantage back to Spain.



Anders Iniesta easily fired his beyond Patricio before Pepe, Pique and Nani all converted their chances. A piece of magic followed as Ramos dinked the ball into the net to give Spain the lead and Bruno Alves' miss ensured Fabregas had the opportunity to send the world champions into the final.



The former Arsenal skipper calmly walked up to the spot and coolly slotted home to break Portugal's hearts.

Nasri apologises for foul-mouthed rant

France midfielder Samir Nasri on Tuesday issued an apology for insulting a journalist after his team were knocked out of the Euro 2012 quarter-finals by Spain last Saturday.



"Too many untruths circulate at the moment. May the fans, and the children in particular, know that I regret sincerely that my words may have shocked," he said on his Twitter feed.



Nasri, who was a second-half substitute in France's 2-0 defeat by world and European champions Spain, passed waiting reporters without saying a word after the match.



"I love the France team, I love football and I have deep respect for the fans. For the rest, it's a personal matter between me and some journalists. I will explain myself in due time," Nasri added.

Schweinsteiger fit for Italy clash

Bastian Schweinsteiger is back to full fitness and ready to start the semi-final against Italy, Germany coach Joachim Low has said.



Schweinsteiger had been suffering a niggling ankle problem but was able to take a full part in training on Monday. Although he played in the 4-2 quarter-final win against Greece on Friday, Low said the midfielder had fallen short of his usual standards.



Giving his squad a clean bill of health, Low said: "There are only 100% fit players. No player will run out if he is only operating at 80 or 90% capacity. All players are fit - I assume Schweinsteiger will play.



"Schweinsteiger had problems, but it's not as if these were hindering him. Against Greece, he was poor - but he realises that himself. Against Italy, that won't happen."



Low said he would not be singling out Andrea Pirlo, who produced an outstanding performance as Italy beat England on penalties, for special treatment.



Pirlo pulled the strings as Cesare Prandelli's team dominated much of the match against their defensive opponents, but Low explained: "That [man-marking Pirlo] would make no sense. The Italians have a very different team from 2010 and excellent progress behind them.



"They have good strengths, a lot of quality. But we also know where their weaknesses lie, where they have their problems. We have to bring our own game, not focus so much on the opponents. If we manage to do that, then we have a good chance."



Earlier on Tuesday, Mesut Ozil had stressed how important Schweinsteiger was to Germany's hopes of winning the tournament, describing him as a "world-class player and a leader of the team."



"He has had injuries in the past, but he is in a good way now," Ozil said. "You saw against the Netherlands how important he is. I hope he is able to be fit as he is such an important player for us."



Meanwhile, Miroslav Klose has said he expects to line up against the Italians despite competition from three-goal striker Mario Gomez - the Euro 2012 joint-top scorer.



Klose started the game against Greece as Low shuffled his attacking options, and rewarded his coach's faith by getting on the scoresheet.



"I am assuming that I will play," he said. "That's what I am preparing for. But we are lucky to have two top strikers. We'll wait and see which one the coach will pick."

Xavi and Iniesta seek their 20th final together

Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta will tomorrow look to qualify for their 20th final since they’ve been playing together, whether with Barcelona or the Spanish national team. If they do reach the final they will more than likely win it. Of the 19 finals they’ve played together, they’ve won 16 and lost 3.



With the national team they’ve won both the finals they’ve played in: Euro 2008 in Vienna and the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg, in which Iniesta scored the winner.



Since 2002, the two of them have played 17 finals with Barcelona, only losing 3 of these: The World Club Cup against Internacional de Porto Alegre, the European Super Cup against Seville and the 2011 Spanish Cup final against Real Madrid.



Xavi and Iniesta are experts in this type of game where they usually play their best. They’re also experts in semi-finals. Iniesta proved that at Stamford Bridge in 2009 when he scored the winner that qualified Barcelona for the Champions League final in Rome.



Víctor Valdés could also be included in this list, as he has been present in many of these finals, but not as many as the two midfielders. He didn’t play in either of the finals with the national team or the Spanish Cup finals that Barcelona played in, because Guardiola decided that José Manuel Pinto would play in that competition.

Maradona backs Germany for glory

Diego Maradona believes Germany can finally triumph over Italy when the two sides meet on Thursday in the Euro 2012 semi-finals.



Italy have had the upper hand in recent encounters against the Germans, most memorably beating them on their own patch in Dortmund at the 2006 World Cup.



Despite this, Maradona believes Germany's new generation of young goalscoring midfielders will allow them to beat their old rivals - and is of the opinion that they are favourites to win the tournament.



"Germany's young superstars (Mesut) Oezil, (Sami) Khedira and (Thomas) Mueller have matured over these years and it shows," Maradona wrote in The Times of India.



"Their young midfield and ease of scoring make them the favourites to win the tournament, although they must face their bete noir Italy in the semi-finals.



"If they ever have a chance to change their luck versus the Azzurri, this is it.



"(But) Germany will do well not to underestimate them."



While tipping Germany to make the final in Kiev, he also praised Italy coach Cesare Prandelli for getting an Italy team on their knees to the semi-finals.



"Very few people expected anything of Italy in this Euro championship," he said.



"The (then) defending world champions were humiliated in South Africa. Coach Prandelli inherited a disjointed national team ferociously criticised by 60 million demanding fans."

FA: Twitter abuse unacceptable

The Football Association has labelled Twitter attacks on England stars Ashley Young and Ashley Cole as "appalling and unacceptable''.



Cole and Young both missed penalties in Sunday night's quarter-final shootout against Italy as the Three Lions exited the tournament, and were subsequently subjected to abuse on Twitter.



"We are concerned at the reports regarding allegations of abuse aimed at England players Ashley Cole and Ashley Young on Twitter,'' an FA statement read.



"They have just given everything for the national team at Euro 2012 and it is appalling and unacceptable that messages of an abusive type are being posted. We support any police investigation in identifying who is behind this.''



A Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) spokesman said: "We are aware of alleged racist comments on Twitter following last night's England game and have launched an investigation.



"The allegation was made to MPS on 25 June by a member of the public relating to comments on a Twitter account supposedly based in London.



No arrests have been made at this early stage. The MPS is examining possible offences under Section 18/19 Public Order Act 1986.''



The Twitter user in question made derogatory comments towards Young and Cole, but later wrote: "All I got to say is this was just a joke, you guys need to relax, police know i was kiddin around and they won't bother me hopefully, cheers.''



A Welsh student, Liam Stacey, was jailed for 56 days earlier this year for racially abusing Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba after he collapsed on the pitch against Tottenham Hotspur.

UEFA fine Germany over unruly fans

The German Football Association have been fined 25,000 euros over the behaviour of a section of their supporters at Euro 2012.



German fans were accused of displaying a neo-Nazi banner during the Group B game against Denmark in Lviv, as well as singing offensive songs and letting off fireworks.



UEFA have now reprimanded the DFB, having found the country's fans guilty of 'improper conduct'.



"The German Football Association (DFB) has been fined 25,000 euros by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body," a statement released on Monday read.



"The charges relate to the improper conduct of their supporters at the UEFA EURO 2012 Group B match against Denmark in Lviv on Sunday 17 June.



"An appeal can be lodged against this decision within 24 hours of the dispatch of the reasoned decision."



Germany won the game 2-1, with Lars Bender popping up with the winner with 10 minutes remaining after Michael Krohn-Dehli had earlier cancelled out Lukas Podolski's opener.



Russia and Croatia have previously been fined by UEFA over the actions of their supporters in Poland and Ukraine.

Italy set to be boosted by Chiellini return

Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini returned to training on Monday morning, raising hopes he may be fit to face Germany in Thursday's semi-final.



Chiellini was forced off with a thigh strain during Italy's 2-0 victory over Ireland in the final group game, and the Juventus centre-back was subsequently ruled out of the quarter-final with England on Sunday night.



However, he was present for a training session the following morning, taking part in running and ball-work, and there are now hopes that he will be available to play against Germany in Warsaw.



His return to fitness would be a significant boost for the Italians, who currently have doubts over the fitness of midfielder Daniel De Rossi and right-back Ignazio Abate, while Christian Maggio is suspended.



Meanwhile, Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon, a World Cup winner in 2006, has told his team-mates they must not get carried away after the penalty shootout victory over England.



"We cannot forget that we have only overcome the quarter-final stage," Buffon said. "I cannot start jumping for joy after taking a spot in the semi-finals. I will only do that when we win something as a team.



"Those of us that have won something important want to repeat that and achieve it also for those that haven't won a trophy yet."



Germany are widely expected to progress to the final, but Buffon is hopeful Italy can spring a surprise. "They are probably favourites, but we have the character to face anyone," he said. "No-one goes into a game wanting to finish second."

Bayern close in on Mario Mandzukic

Croatia Euro 2012 star Mario Mandzukic appears to be on his way to Bayern Munich, according to Bild.



The Croatian striker shone at the European Championship and attracted attention from top European clubs by scoring 3 goals in 4 games at the Euro 2012.



Bild now reveals that Bayern Munich are seriously considering making a move for the Wolfsburg striker.



The Wolves are not too satisfied with Mandzukic’s performances and they believe this is the right time to cash in on the 26-year-old.



The Bundesliga side have already recruited two strikers for the upcoming season, having signed Bas Dost from Heerenveen and Ivica Olic from Bayern Munich.



The Bavarians are prepared to offer around €10 million for the Croatia international in spite of the fact Claudio Pizarro has previously agreed a switch to Alianz Arena.



Mandzukic joined Wolfsburg in a €7 million move from Dinamo Zagreb and has since scored 20 goals in 56 Bundesliga appearances.

Italy beat England on penalties

After a scoreless 120 minutes, England's penalty shoot-out hoodoo continued as Italy won through to a semi-final meeting with Germany on a dramatic night in Kiev.



Former West Ham player Alessandro Diamanti struck the winning spot kick to seal a 4-2 on penalties victory for the Italians after Ashleys Young and Cole had missed for England. It was no more than Italydeserved as they had dominated the majority of the match, with the England goal leading something of a charmed life at times.



For two traditionally cagey teams, it was a very open first ten minutes. De Rossi almost got his name on the scoresheet after just two minutes, but his 30-yard volley came back off the upright with Joe Hart beaten. Glen Johnson then came close for England after a slick passing move on the edge of the box ended with Buffon producing a reaction save to claw away the Liverpool man’s rising shot.



Wayne Rooney almost put Danny Welbeck in, but the ball was deflected out for a corner. Moments later Rooney got on the end of a floated Johnson cross, but couldn’t keep his header down and the chance was gone.



After a spell of dominance from England, Italy began to get more time on the ballbut found it hard to find a way past a solid England defence. Montolivo, Pirlo and Marchisio began to pull the strings in midfield with a series of slick passing movements, but there was no end product for the Italians as first Balotelli and then Cassano failed to trouble Hart.



Welbeck spurned a glorious chance just after the half hour when he shot over from the edge of the box after good work from Scott Parker, Ashley Young and Rooney. At the other end Cassano stung Hart’s hands with a well-struck shot from the edge of the box.



Italy should have been ahead on 40 minutes when Cassano headed Balzetti’s floated ball back across goal, but Balotelli couldn’t convert from five yards as Lescott got in to divert the ball away for a corner. That was the last major action of a fascinating first half – England had started well but Italy were running things in midfield.



The second half began much like the first, with both sides having chances. First Milner sent a dangerous cut back into the Italian penalty area, but the ball evaded Rooney and Welbeck and Bonucci was able to clear. At the other end De Rossi missed a golden opportunity when he shot wide from from six yards.



England were again counting their blessings on 52 minutes when Hart could only parry a fierce Balotelli shot and Montolivo blazed the rebound just over with the goal gaping.



Ashley Young had an effort deflected out for a corner just after the hour after some good work from substitute Andy Carroll, but it was cold comfort for Roy Hodgson’s men who were struggling to keep the Italians at bay.



Substitute Diamanti then forced a good save from Hart from the edge of the box but, as the clock ran down and both sides visibly tired, neither team looked likely to break the deadlock.



Italy almost won it two minutes from the end of normal time when substitute Nocerino got on the end of a Marchisio through ball, but Johnson got across to make a good block. Rooney then blazed a bicycle kick over right at the end of normal time after some good build up play as the game headed for extra time and the prospect of a dreaded penalty shoot-out loomed large.



A shot-cum-cross from Diamanti which glanced off the foot of the post was the closest either team came to scoring during the first period of extra time, with both sides getting men behind the ball when not in possession.



Nocerino had the ball in the net six minutes from the end when he headed home a Maggio cross, but his effort was ruled out for offside and it was down to who could hold their nerve from 12 yards.



Montolivo was the first to miss after Balotelli and Gerrard scored. Rooney and Pirlo both scored before Ashley Young missed to leave it at 2-2 after three kicks each.



Nocerino then converted for Italy, but Ashley Cole’s effort was easily saved by Buffont. Diamanti then confidently sent Hart the wrong way and Italy were through to a semi-final meeting with Germany on Thursday, while England were left to ponder yet another penalty shoot-out exit at a major tournament.

Czech striker Milan Baros announces international retirement

Milan Baros has retired from international football with the Czech Republic.



The 30-year-old made the announcement after his country's Euro 2012 quarter-final defeat to Portugal on Thursday night, with the Czech football federation's website confirming he received "long applause" from his team-mates in the dressing room.



Baros, who is currently with Turkish side Galatasaray having played for Liverpool and Aston Villa earlier in his career, played 93 times for the Czechs, scoring 41 goals. He was the top scorer at Euro 2004 with five goals.



A report on fotbal.cz, the federation's official site, stated: "(Baros' retirement) had been speculated about for some time. The 30-year-old has been the subject of sharp criticism, culminating in the first Euro 2012 match against Russia. When Baros was substituted, some fans booed him."



The federation said Baros was expected to make an official statement later today.

We're ready for the fight - Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo claims Portugal are growing in confidence after his second-half header sent his side into the semi-finals of Euro 2012 with a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic.



The Real Madrid forward had twice hit the woodwork and seen his team have a goal chalked out for offside before he arrived on cue in the six-yard box to nod in Joao Moutinho's cross on 79 minutes at the National Stadium in Warsaw.



The Czechs - with captain Tomas Rosicky, the Arsenal midfielder, only on the bench because of an Achilles injury - had started brightly, but lacked a decisive move in the final third.



Portugal, who came through the Group of Death behind Germany, will now face either France or world champions Spain in Donetsk on June 27.



Ronaldo said on BBC1: "We created many chances and hit the post, but it is brilliant for us to have passed into the semi-finals.



"We know it is going to be difficult, but we are ready, we are confident. We are very mature, so we are ready for the fight."

Young 'doubtful' for Italy showdow

Ashley Young is facing a race against time to prove his fitness for England's Euro 2012 quarter-final clash with Italy on Sunday, according to reports.



Young played the full 90 minutes as England booked their last-eight spot with a 1-0 victory over Ukraine on Tuesday - but after the match, it emerged he was struggling with a shin problem.



Young was a peripheral figure at the Donbass Arena, with his best moment a fine cross which an unmarked Wayne Rooney somehow contrived to miss from six yards out.



Young started each of England's three group games, initially in a central role and then on the left flank, as he fought off competition for a place from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and Stewart Downing.



If Young is unable to face Italy, then England boss Roy Hodgson is likely to turn to Walcott, who had a devastating impact as a substitute - scoring one and assisting the winner - as the Three Lions beat Sweden 3-2 last Friday.



Walcott's inclusion could mean James Milner switching over to the left flank from the right, where he has begun each of England's first three encounters - although there is also the option of bringing in Liverpool midfielder Downing.



Italy will be without key Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini, who injured his thigh in the 2-0 victory over Republic of Ireland on Monday.

Technology a necessity - Blatter

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has declared goal-line technology 'a necessity' after Ukraine became the latest victims of its absence from the game.



The European Championship co-hosts were denied an equaliser in Tuesday night's decisive 1-0 Group D defeat to England when officials failed to spot Marco Devic's shot had crossed the line.



Blatter, who hopes to convince the game's rule-makers - the International Football Association Board - to give technology the green light, posted on Twitter: "After last night's match £GLT is no longer an alternative but a necessity."



Blatter became a convert to goal-line technology after Frank Lampard was denied a legitimate goal in England's 2010 World Cup defeat to Germany.



That failed to convince UEFA president Michel Platini - the favourite to succeed Blatter as the most powerful man in world football - who remained wedded to his belief additional assistant referees behind each goal was the best way forward.



Yet, Tuesday night's referee, assistant referee and AAR all failed to spot Devic's shot had narrowly crossed the line before John Terry's acrobatic clearance prevent it hitting the back of the net.



That left Platini red-faced after he made bold claims on the eve of the game about the effectiveness of five officials. He told reporters in Warsaw: "With five, officials see everything.



"They don't take decisions without being fully aware. There's also a uniformity of refereeing. For example, they don't call unintentional handballs. That uniformity has led to more flowing football."



Platini also attempted to justify his opposition to goal-line technology. He said: "Goal-line technology isn't a problem.



"The problem is the arrival of technology because, after, you'll need technology for deciding handballs and then for offside decisions and so on. It'll be like that forever and ever. It'll never stop. That's the problem I have."

Sweden shine light on French frailties

Below-par France qualified for the quarter-finals as Group D runners-up despite a superb Zlatan Ibrahimovic strike and a late Sebastian Larsson goal condemning them to defeat in Kiev.



The French will now face Spain in the last eight in Donetsk on Saturday, and manager Laurent Blanc will know that their performance must be at a much higher level to stand any chance against the defending champions.



Ibrahimovic's acrobatic volley from just inside the area, the striker swivelling to meet Larsson's cross, put already-eliminated Sweden ahead on 54 minutes in what will be a strong contender for goal of the tournament.



Lethargic France, grateful to keeper Hugo Lloris for some important saves to stop them falling further behind, came to life in the last 20 minutes but Sweden secured victory when Larsson followed up to score after substitute Samuel Holmen struck the crossbar.



It was Sweden’s first victory over the French since 1969 and France’s first defeat in 24 games.



“Sweden beat an average France team,” Blanc told French television. “They were better in all departments.”



Already eliminated, the Swedes had clearly decided they were not going down without a fight and they flew into challenges from the first whistle.



With the French through as long as Ukraine did not win, there was always the chance of a dull game but both sides played with commitment, pace and skill.



Sweden forward Ola Toivonen had a great chance to open the scoring when Philippe Mexes botched a defensive header and let him run free in the French half. Lloris came out quickly to force him wide and the Swedish striker’s effort grazed the outside of the post with the goal at his mercy.



France looked slick in possession and alarm bells rang every time Franck Ribery ran at the Swedish defence. Several times he ghosted down the left wing to create openings that were wasted by his team-mates.



Ribery, Hatem Ben Arfa, Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri all threatened with shots from distance but none troubled Andreas Isaksson unduly.



Christian Wilhelmsson replaced Emir Bajrami at the break and immediately set about making a nuisance of himself for the French defence.



Ibrahimovic brought the crowd to their feet in the 54th minute, finishing Larsson’s cross with a breathtaking scissor-kick.



Yann Mvila did his best to get the French back on level terms with two fine efforts from outside the box, the first saved by Isaksson and the second clearing the crossbar. Substitute Jeremy Menez could have equalised for France but his shot hit Isaksson's legs.



Sweden held on for victory but France will have a chance to regroup before facing the world champion Spaniards. Mexes will miss that clash after picking up a booking for a foul on Toivonen, his second of the tournament.

Rooney pushes England to summit

A Wayne Rooney goal on his belated entry to Euro 2012 earned England a win over Ukraine in Donetsk that sent them into the last eight as Group D winners and a meeting with Italy on Sunday.



Rooney, suspended for the first two matches, wasted a good first-half chance but could not miss three minutes into the second when Steven Gerrard’s deflected right-wing cross deceived goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov and left the striker an easy header.



Ukraine, needing a win to go through, came desperately close to equalising after 62 minutes when Marco Devic’s shot was half-saved by Joe Hart then hacked off the line by John Terry.



Ukraine’s players and most of the crowd screamed goal but the fifth official decided otherwise and the hosts were left fuming after television replays suggested the ball had crossed the line.



For the second major tournament England, who were on the wrong side of a similar decision against Germany in the 2010 World Cup, were involved in an incident that will increase the pressure for the introduction of goal-line technology.



The additional assistant referee, introduced to try to deal with close goal-line decisions, did not indicate a goal to the referee, to the fury of Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin.



Ukraine started without their record scorer Andriy Shevchenko who was on the bench due to a knee injury but that did not stop them dominating the first half.



They had far more possession and laid siege to England’s goal for long periods with their first attempt coming after seven minutes when Denys Garmash fired over from long range.



Terry blocked an Evhen Konoplyanka shot that was heading goalwards after 18 minutes and Ukraine skipper Anatoly Tymoshchuk should have done better with the rebound which he also fired over.



A mistake by Ashley Young after 22 minutes allowed Oleh Gusyev to test Hart and the England goalkeeper had to make another smart save eight minutes later, getting down to a shot from Andriy Yarmolenko.



England’s first attempt at goal came after 28 minutes when Rooney headed a Young cross wide with only Pyatov to beat.



He made amends after the break though with his simple back post header to put England in front and, having survived the goal-line incident, they had Hart to thank for a fine save to keep out a fierce long-range Konoplyanka strike.



England captain Gerrard believes his side are slowly hitting form at the right time after securing top spot in Group D.



“It was a difficult group and the idea was to try and win it. No-one believed in us at the start but we’re gaining momentum at the right time,” said the Liverpool midfielder.



“I don’t think tonight’s performance was fantastic, but we stuck together, got the job done and won 1-0 against a good team.



“We’ve been criticised in the past maybe for not turning up, under-performing and we can take that, we’re man enough. But you saw a reaction.



“When you get criticised it’s not nice and you have to react by playing better and I think that’s what we did.”

Spain, Italy into Euro quarters

Jesus Navas scored a late goal on Monday to give defending champions Spain a 1-0 win over Croatia and a spot in the European Championship quarterfinals.



The World Cup winners topped group C with seven points ahead of Italy, who beat Ireland 2-0 to clinch second place on five points.



Croatia finished on four with Ireland pointless.

Andres Iniesta passed to Navas inside the area after Spain broke the offside trap, and the substitute forward kicked the ball into an empty in the 88th minute.



Spain dominated possession as expected but failed to create clear many opportunities at the Arena Gdansk.



Croatia could have reached the last eight with a victory but goalkeeper Iker Casillas made a pair of big saves in the second half to keep the score level.



The Spain goalkeeper made a reflex save on Ivan Rakitic's header in the 59th minute before punching out substitute Ivan Perisic's low volley in the 79th.



At Poznan, Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli scored in each half in Italy's 2-0 victory over Ireland.



Cassano headed in with his back to the goal by the near post following a corner kick in the 35th minute on a warm and muggy night at the Municipal Stadium.



Substitute Balotelli scored in the second half.



Italy controlled the match for long stretches but Ireland - coached by former Azzurri skipper Giovanni Trapattoni - threatened often with counterattacks.

Sweden rule out Elmander, Elm

Sweden will be without Johan Elmander and Rasmus Elm for their final Euro 2012 Group D match against France on Tuesday.



Coach Erik Hamren has decided against taking any risks with Elmander given Sweden's tournament is already over and the Galatasaray forward has only just returned from a foot injury.



AZ attacking midfielder Elm, meanwhile, has been laid low by a virus and will also not feature in Kiev.



"We have two absences," Hamren told reporters at his pre-game press conference on Monday.



"Johan Elmander is not considered to play tomorrow (Tuesday) because his foot is not 100 per cent yet and, as it's not a decisive game, I will not make the decision to put him on the pitch.



"It’s also a decision for him personally, I will respect that and the club he represents. They have been really great before the tournament lending us Elmander.



"Rasmus Elm is not feeling too good, and during the morning had a few problems with a strain in his leg.



"But other than that all the players are ready, they’re healthy, they feel good and they’re motivated."



England are reportedly concerned about Hamren fielding a second-string line-up against qualification rivals France, but the 54-year-old believes that Roy Hodgson's men should only worry about their game against Ukraine.



"Win yourselves," he said.



"England must focus on themselves and we are going to focus on our game. We can't do any more than that.



"We will do everything we can to win our game. We need to leave with a good performance and a good result."



Speculation is rife that Olof Mellberg will call time on his international career after the tournament but Hamren refused to shed any light on whether he will start the centre-back against Les Bleus.



"I wouldn’t be too sure (about him retiring)," he said. "He said it’s his final tournament but I’m not making too much fuss about it. He might play.



"I spoke to Olof before the tournament and we will talk together about his situation again after the Euros. His contract is expiring with his club and as far as I know he doesn't have a new contract yet.



"It all depends on his situation, depending on which club he'll play with. We will see. He usually sticks by what he says. He has said that he will not be at any more finals, so he surely won't.



"But that doesn't mean it will be his last game for the national team. We will see what happens a few weeks after the Euros to see if he has had time to think."