UKRAINE: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - European champions Spain arrive at Kiev hotel after making history on the pitch at Euro 2012, thrashing Italy 4-0

Record ID: 860871

  • Title: UKRAINE: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - European champions Spain arrive at Kiev hotel after making history on the pitch at Euro 2012, thrashing Italy 4-0
  • Date: 2nd July 2012
  • Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (JULY 2, 2012) (REUTERS) ( NIGHT SCENES) ( * BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) EXTERIOR OF HOTEL WHERE SPANISH TEAM IS STAYING VARIOUS OF BUS CARRYING SPANISH TEAM ARRIVING WITH POLICE ESCORT VARIOUS OF SPANISH TEAM GETTING OFF BUS GOALKEEPER IKER CASILLAS GETTING OFF BUS AND WALKING PAST FANS CHEERING SPANISH TEAM COACH VICENTE DEL BOSQUE WALKING PAST VARIOUS OF SPANISH TEAM GETTING OUT OF BUS WOMAN FROM SPANISH TEAM CARRYING EUROPEAN CUP FANS OUTSIDE HOTEL
  • Embargoed: 17th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • City:
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA5HW67L06QR054WNE5J6A5U4E6
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: The Spanish soccer team arrived back at their team hotel in Kiev in the early hours of Monday (July 2) morning, after taking their place among the game's greats when they thrashed Italy 4-0 to become the first team to win successive European Championship titles.
    Several dozen fans, mainly Ukrainians dressed in the Spanish red and yellow colours, waited outside and cheered the team on as they walked into the hotel.
    Goals from David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata gave the world champions an easy victory over an Italian team down to 10 men through injury for the last half-hour. The diminutive Silva scored with a rare header after a Cesc Fabregas pull-back in the 14th minute before a superb sprint finish from left-back Alba following a pinpoint Xavi pass doubled their lead four minutes before halftime.
    Torres, who scored the winner in the final when they won the title in 2008, struck their third goal in the 84th minute before setting up fellow substitute Mata to add the final flourish in the 88th.
    Italy had more possession than Spain in the opening half but when they did have a sniff of goal goalkeeper Iker Casillas maintained his astonishing record of not conceding a goal in the knockout stage of a tournament for the 10th successive match.
    Spain have become the first European side to win three major tournaments following their success in Euro 2008 and the World Cup two years ago.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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