31-year-old goalkeeper Michalis Morfis has been recalled to the Cyprus squad for the upcoming upcoming UEFA EURO 2012 Group H against Norway and Denmark.

Cyprus coach Angelos Anastasiadis has unexpectedly recalled goalkeeper Michalis Morfis to his 21-man squad for the upcoming UEFA EURO 2012 Group H qualifiers against Norway and Denmark on 8 and 12 October.

Morfis is currently plying his trade in Cyprus's second tier with PAEEK Kyrenia FC after leaving APOEL FC in the summer, the 31-year-old having fallen out of favour at the club where he had spent his entire career. He will now be hoping to add to his 20 international caps – the most memorable of which came in the 5-2 victory against the Republic of Ireland in 2006 – though he lost his starting place to Antonis Georgallides the following year.

Cyprus made a positive start to their bid to reach the finals in Poland and Ukraine with a thrilling 4-4 draw in Portugal on 3 September.

Scotland call on in-form Mackie for UEFA EURO 2012 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and holders Spain on 8 and 12 October.

Craig Levein has named a 24-man squad for Scotland's UEFA EURO 2012 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and holders Spain on 8 and 12 October.

James McFadden and Kris Boyd have been left out, the former having suffered a cruciate ligament injury to his knee on 17 September, meaning Queens Park Rangers FC striker Jamie Mackie earns his first call-up after starting the season with eight goals. Goalkeeper Craig Gordon and centre-back Gary Caldwell return following long-term arm and hip injuries respectively, while Celtic FC midfielder Shaun Maloney has also been recalled.

"If you look at the strikers I've picked, I've gone with players in form," said Levein. "I had a chat with Kris [Boyd] and explained that to him. Shaun had a really terrible time of it last year with injuries, but I'm really pleased he's managed to get a number of games under his belt. Craig Gordon won't start the match against the Czech Republic. It's important to get him back involved with the squad again, but I've been really happy with Allan McGregor."

Lee McCulloch is suspended for the game against the Czech Republic in Prague on 8 October, with world and European champions Spain due at Hampden Park four days later.

Slovakia announce squad for Ireland and Armenia for euro 2012 qualifiers

Slovakian boss Vladimir Weiss last night announced his 24 man squad for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifiers against Armenia on Friday, October 8th, and the Republic of Ireland four days later, on Tuesday, October 12th.The country’s top scorer, Ankaragücü striker Robert Vittek is still absent due to a knee injury. Vittek scored twice against Italy in this summer’s World Cup and helped them progress from a difficult group, getting two more along the way. His injury will besure to please Irish boss Giovanni Trapattoni.Goalkeeper Dusan Kuciak of Romanian club Vaslui and Dusan Svento of Red Bull Salzburg have also been left out of the squad, which beat Russia and Macedonia earlier this month. West Brom defender Marek Cech also misses out.Filip Holosko of Besiktas and Dinamo Zagreb’s Jakub Sylvestr have both been drafted into the squad.Slovakia take on Ireland on October 8th at the Štadión pod Dubňom in Žilina, where Aiden McGeady ran riot for Spartak Moscow earlier this week.

Xavi rested for Spain euro 2012 qualifiers

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has named a 20-man squad for the forthcoming UEFA EURO 2012 qualifiers against Lithuania and Scotland, with Xavi Hernández the main omission for La Roja.

The FC Barcelona midfielder is thought to be suffering from tendinitis and has been rested for the games in Salamanca and Glasgow. The FIFA World Cup winners are also without Cesc Fàbregas (hamstring) and Raúl Albiol (ankle) for the Group I encounters on 8 and 12 October, but defender Carles Puyol returns having missed the recent friendly defeat away against Argentina.

"The games against Lithuania and Scotland represent very dangerous fixtures," Del Bosque said. "To the uninitiated the outcome of these encounters might seem a foregone conclusion, but they are teams who are ahead of us in the standings and any slip-up now would be very dangerous for us. Lithuania are exceptionally well organised while Scotland at home represent very tricky opponents."

World champions Spain opened the defence of their UEFA European Championship title with a 4-0 victory in Liechtenstein on 3 September.

Xavi was a surprise omission on Thursday from Spain coach Vicente del Bosque's squad for the world champions' Euro 2012 Group I qualifiers

Madrid: Xavi was a surprise omission on Thursday from Spain coach Vicente del Bosque's squad for the world champions' Euro 2012 Group I qualifiers against Lithuania and Scotland next month. The Barcelona playmaker, whom a Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) spokeswoman said was suffering from an Achilles problem and had asked to be rested, joins fellow midfielder Cesc Fabregas and defender Raul Albiol on the injury list. Fabregas damaged a hamstring during Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Sept. 18 and was expected to be out for two to three weeks. "We have two fundamental matches which are extremely dangerous," Del Bosque, who willlead...

FABIO CAPELLO is considering whether to kick Rio Ferdinand out and let Steven Gerrard carry on as England captain.

Ferdinand has already been ruled out as skipper of Manchester United by manager Alex Ferguson.Now Three Lions boss Capello is ready to follow suit, preferring to select a leader who is regularly playing rather than one battling against injury.An FA insider last night explained: "Steven Gerrard has done really well since taking over the armband from Rio at the World Cup."He's shown he is a real leader both on and off the pitch."And Steven's recent performances have been truly inspirational, he's been brilliant."He has really responded to the responsibility of being made captain. So it will be hard for Fabio to take the captaincy away from him now."He has seen Sir Alex take the armband away at United because of his concerns over Rio's repeated injuries. And Rio might well find the same thing now happens at England."So while he might be recalled for the Euro qualifier against Montenegro on October 12, there is no guarantee he will automatically return as captain."Capello has already shown his ruthless streak by axing John Terry as skipper after the Chelsea defender's affair with the partner of team-mate Wayne Bridge.Now centre-back Ferdinand, 31, could lose out because of his disappointing injury record.Meanwhile, Hollywood producer Mike Jefferies and casting director Dan Hubbard - both huge fans of Gerrard's club Liverpool - plan to release an internet protest film next week to show their anger at owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Matthaeus fails to persuade Berbatov For Euro 2012 Qualifiers match

 New Bulgaria coach Lothar Matthaeus has failed to persuade Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov out of international retirement.

"I've had several conversations with him but he's not ready to play for Bulgaria again," the former Germany's World Cup winning captain told Kicker magazine on Thursday.

Last week, Matthaeus, 49, said he would try to bring Bulgaria's all-time leading scorer back in the team for the remaining Euro 2012 Group G qualifiers.

"He gave me no reasons but for me the issue is settled for Berbatov and other players can now take their chances," Matthaeus added.

Berbatov, 29, quit the national team in May citing fatigue and family commitments for his surprise announcement.

However, Matthaeus, who has an uphill task to take Bulgaria to the Euro 2012 finals following back-to-back defeats against England and Montenegro in their opening two qualifiers, remains upbeat.

"It's like the Germany team before the 2010 World Cup," 1991 Fifa World player of the Year Matthaeus said. "Ballack got injured, so Ozil and Khedira took their chances and are now at Real Madrid."

Matthaeus's first match in charge will be on October 8 when Bulgaria visit Wales in Cardiff.

"We must remove the pressure from the players and give them back the pleasure of the game," Matthaeus, who became the first foreigner to coach Bulgaria since 1966, said. "I'm convinced that Bulgaria will soon achieve good results."

Xavi Left Out Of Spain Squad For Euro 2012 Qualifiers

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque has chosen to omit Barcelona midfielder Xavi from his squad for their upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers with Lithuania (October 8th) and Scotland (October 12th).The undisputed master of the five-yard pass has been left out due to worries over a persistant Achilles tendon problem. Real Madrid defender Raul Albiol and Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas are also set to miss out on proceedings with ankle and hamstring injuries respectively.The Spain squad in full:Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Victor Valdes (Barcelona), Jose Reina (Liverpool)Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carlos Marchena (Villarreal), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Nacho Monreal(Osasuna)Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Villarreal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Pedro (Barcelona), Jesus Navas (Sevilla)David Villa (Barcelona), David Silva (Man City), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Fernando Torres (Liverpool)As you can see, without Xavi, Albiol and Fabregas, Del Bosque has been left worringly short of options.

Joachim Loew plans to groom Germany's next crop of rising stars with a view to Euro 2012

BERLIN — Coach Joachim Loew revealed on Wednesday plans to groom Germany's next crop of rising stars with a view to Euro 2012 and to bring Mainz's Lewis Holtby, who has English parentage, into the national squad.After Germany's stars Mesut Ozil and Thomas Mueller impressed at the World Cup in South Africa as part of Loew's young side which finished third, the next batch of talent is now set to be groomed for greatness ready for Euro 2012.Dark horses Mainz have shot to the top of the Bundesliga with six straight wins and both striker Andre Schuerrle, 19, and midfielder Holtby, 20, are now set to be promoted to the Germany squad by the end of the year.Loew has said next month's Euro 2012 qualifiers against Turkey, on October 8, and Kazakhstan, on October 12, may be too soon for the pair, but the friendly against Sweden on November 17 will allow Loew to experiment."Players like Schuerrle or Holtby in Mainz are moving closer to the national team all the time with their performances," Loew told German daily Bild."It's great to see what is currently being developed in Mainz."Dortmund pair midfielder Kevin Grosskreutz and defender Mats Hummels are also in a small group of talented youngsters Loew is looking at to develop before Euro 2012, to be held in the Ukraine and Poland."All of them will still get their chance this year," said Loew."I think for them it is better to play in some Under-21 games, rather than sit on the bench with us."(For the match against Sweden), I will use that to try and test out things."Loew has also said he is very keen to look at Everton-fan Holtby, who has an English father after UK newspapers speculated he may opt to play for Three Lions, because of his Liverpool-born parent, a former soldier.Holtby has represented Germany at under-18, u-19, u-20 and captained the national u-21 side, but could still play for England unless he wins a senior cap for Loew, but has now said he wants to wear the white shirt of Germany.Holtby even says his father has given his blessing to the decision: "He said if I want to win trophies, then it is a good idea".

Craig Bellamy has had knee problems for most of his career

Wales caretaker boss Brian Flynn has confirmed captain Craig Bellamy is out of Wales' Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland in October.The on-loan Cardiff City striker has been out for three weeks with a continuation of the knee problems that have dogged his career.Cardiff boss Dave Jones said on Monday he preferred the striker to be rested. "Craig will be unavailable for the two matches next week" Flynn told BBC Sport Wales. "I had a really long, excellent conversation with Dave Jones just over 10 days ago... and we made the decision that Craig will not be available due to his fitness. "He has an ongoing knee problem and hasn't played for the last five games."Obviously we've been aware of that and unfortunately for Craig and for us he won't be able to put on a red shirt next week. It's a big disappointment for me as caretaker manager. I wanted Craig in the team but these things happen." Wales face Bulgaria at the Cardiff City Stadium on 8 October, followed by Switzerland in Basel four days later. Having already lost their opening Group G game 1-0 away to supposed minnows Montenegro earlier this month, Wales cannot afford to slip up again if they are to keep their hopes alive.That result in Podgorica saw John Toshack depart as Wales manager, with his assistant and Wales Under-21 coach Brian Flynn appointed as caretaker boss for at least these next two games. Already without Premier League players such as Aaron Ramsey and and Jack Collison because of long-term injuries, the start to Flynn's Wales reign would be further hampered by the loss of captain Bellamy.

What the ....Has Wayne Rooney done again

The Wayne Rooney saga seems to never die. Now, the England and Manchester United forward will miss plenty of playing time because an injury. that’s not good for England as the team tries to qualify for the 2012 Euros because there is a real shortage of strikers on the bench with Tottenham striker Jermaine Defoe also sidelined. Fabio Capello has some interesting choices to make in the Three Lions upcoming qualifying matches regarding his line up.

Werder Bremen Striker Marko Arnautovic Returns To Austria Squad For Euro 2012

Austria coach Dietmar Constantini has decided to include highly rated attacker Marko Arnautovic in his 23-man squad for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Azerbaijan on October 8 and Belgium four days later.

Bremen forward Arnautovic has made five appearances for Austria so far, but hadn't received a call-up since the 2-1 World Cup qualifying win against Romania on April 1, 2009.

Manuel Ortlechner and Bayern Munich starlet David Alaba are missing with ankle injuries, while Umit Korkmaz and Christoph Leitgeb have both been left out for tactical reasons.

Austria started their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win against Kazakhstan and they'll be looking to add six more points to their tally in October.

Michal Bilek Announces Squad for up coming game For Euro 2012 Qualifiers

Czech Republic national team coach Michal Bilek has announced his 20-man squad for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Scotland on October 8 and against Liechtenstein four days later.

Bilek will have to make do without the services of in-form striker Milan Baros, who netted a hat-trick for Galatasaray at the weekend, due to a thigh injury. 

The Czech Republic coach opted to give promising youngster Vaclav Kadlec his first call-up to replace the former Aston Villa striker.

Furthermore, Viktoria Plzen midfielder Milan Petrzela, 27, is selected for the first time, while striker Lukas Magera returns to the squad after an 11-month absence. However, Martin Fenin is injured.

The vacant Welsh managerial position has not yet been advertised, the Football Association of Wales has revealed.

Former boss John Toshack stepped down from the post earlier in the month after six years at the helm, and a number of names have been touted as possible successors.

Ryan Giggs, Martin O'Neill and Chris Coleman have all linked with the job, while former England coach Terry Venables has also recently come into contention.

Brian Flynn has taken temporary control of the side and is currently preparing for next month's Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland.

Flynn is another candidate for the position but the FAW admits applications are not yet being taken.

A spokesman said: "We've not actually advertised the position at all as yet, so anybody who is throwing their hat into the ring is doing so very much from their own point of view at the moment."

Toshack had his contract with the FAW terminated by mutual consent after his side were beaten in their opening qualifier by Montenegro.

More training for england team

Tentative discussions have taken place over the possibility of an additional England friendly being arranged next June.

Fabio Capello's men have one Euro 2012 fixture, against Switzerland on Saturday, June 4, before immediately heading east to play Thailand in a match that has been arranged as part of the campaign to secure the 2018 World Cup.

It has now been suggested that another match might be played in the same region, with Japan, South Korea and Australia all mentioned as potential opponents.

Such speculation might alarm England's leading clubs, who would hope to have their players on summer holiday at that point.

However, the Football Association believe obstacles such as player release can be overcome if the plan for an extra fixture is formalised.

The FA are not making any public statement on the matter but stress privately that talks are at the earliest possible stage and there is no certainty a third June fixture will be agreed.

Yet it would probably be a useful exercise for Capello given his side are already well placed to reach the next European Championships, by which time the Italian will have to find a way to get the best out of his players at the end of a hard domestic season, something he failed to achieve at the World Cup.

The FA are keen to stress that if another match was played, it would not involve any travel beyond the geographical boundaries presently arranged, which would appear to rule out Australia as a destination, if not actual opponents.

They also believe Capello is generating some goodwill by not demanding his players report for duty ahead of next month's qualifier with Montenegro until October 7, giving them three valuable days off when the season is at one of its most congested phases.

As England also only have one competitive game to play in March, when the destination of silverware is being determined, clubs may not be too worried about their players being involved in three June fixtures if they have benefited at a time that suits them.

Berbatov to Say No to Matthaeus shut up its my decision not yours

Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov will stand by his decision to retire from international football and will not return to Bulgaria, his agent has confirmed.

Bulgaria's new coach Lothar Matthaeus promised last week to revive the team and to try to convince Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov to return to the squad.

"Dimitar will not refuse to meet and talk to Matthaues but that's all," Berbatov's agent Emil Danchev told a local TV channel late on Sunday. "He will not return."

"He made it clear when he announced his decision earlier this year," Danchev said, adding that Berbatov hopes the new leader at the helm of the Bulgarian team will achieve the success everybody in the country hopes for.

Dimitar Berbatov announced at the beginning of May his retirement from international football with immediate effect. He explained at the time that he had become "discouraged" by his performances for his country, dealing a heavy blow to the team.

The 29-year-old was captain of his country and scored a national record 48 goals in just 74 matches.

Lothar Matthaeus signed earlier this month a one-year deal with an option for two more years at the helm.

So far, though, Matthaeus' coaching career hasn't come close to the glory of his days on the pitch. His next challenge will be to try to salvage Bulgaria's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2012 and he has recalled 18 overseas-based players in the squad for his first match in charge.

Bulgaria, beaten 4-0 by England at Wembley  at the beginning of September, lost 1-0 at home to Montenegro on September 7. The team visit Wales on October 8 in their next Euro 2012 qualifier.

Ashley Cole calls in lawyers to kick Cheryl out of his home

Ashley Cole has reportedly called in lawyers in an effort to force his ex-wife Cheryl out of their marital home.

As part of the couple’s divorce settlement the Chelsea footballer is keeping the £6million mansion.

However, Ashley is currently sharing a flat with a pal and has allegedly become impatient to move back into his home.

The X Factor judge has confirmed that she will vacate the Surrey mansion at the end of next month.

A friend of the Chelsea defender told The People: “Ashley has made no secret of his wish to move back into the house and he was becoming increasingly frustrated about the delay.

“Ashley realised Cheryl had spent a lot of time in Los Angeles recently and is now busy with X Factor but he decided to try and force the issue a little.

“He is relieved to learn his lawyer has received an assurance that Cheryl will move out at the end of next month.”

When the Girls Aloud singer has been in the UK in recent months she has lived at the house with her mum Joan Callaghan.

Boss Sir Alex Ferguson Blames Media For Wayne Rooney Malaise

Sir Alex Ferguson has blamed the lack of output from Manchester United star Wayne Rooney on the constant media scrutiny in his life. The Scot acknowledged that as a key player at a high profile club like United, the England international will have to learn to cope with the public focus on him but also insisted that it has been “exhausting” on someone who just wants to play and enjoy his football.

Rooney has been dogged by controversy and scandal since the summer with first his pre-season drunken and smoking binge on a night out with wife Coleen to being caught sleeping with other women while Coleen was pregnant with son Kai.

The revelations have since left him battling to save his marriage and the striker has cut a forlorn figure at times on the pitch, with the lack of goals leading the media to cast more criticism on the player’s contribution to the team.

Rooney has scored just once in the Premier League this season and that was from the penalty spot.

Ferguson denied the stories and personal crisis have affected his star striker Rooney’s confidence with the 24-year-old rested along with several other first team stars for the club’s Carling Cup tie with Scunthorpe United on Wednesday.

“I don’t believe Wayne has a confidence problem. The boy is finally starting to realise what kind of focus is on him as a human being.” said Ferguson

“The boy can’t turn without a camera being on him but for a young person, that is not what you want.

“You want to play and enjoy your football without that attention to you as it can be quite exhausting.”

There has however been better news for Rooney on the England front with the United star netting against Switzerland in the Euro 2012 qualifiers earlier this month.

Steven Gerrard set to retain England captaincy

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is set to claim the England captaincy from Rio Ferdinand on a permanent basis, according to a report in The Mirror.

Gerrard captained his side at last summer’s World Cup after Ferdinand withdrew from the England squad because of an ankle injury.

And despite England boss Fabio Capello’s earlier insistence that Ferdinand would be restored as captain after his return from injury, Gerrard is tipped to retain the England armband.

Gerrard – unlike Ferdinand – is often available for selection, and has racked up some inspirational performances for his country. 

Meanwhile Ferdinand has been injured since the summer and only just returned to competitive action for his club. 

Ferdinand has already lost the United captaincy to Nemanja Vidic due to the former’s frequent absences.

KRIS Boyd is set to be axed by Scotland for next month's Euro 2012 double-header with the Czech Republic and Spain.

KRIS Boyd is set to be axed by Scotland for next month's Euro 2012 double-header with the Czech Republic and Spain.

Craig Levein will name his squad on Thursday and the striker's lack of top-team action at Middlesbrough is likely to cost him an international place.

MailSport understands Boyd is extremely disappointed but if his omission is confirmed later in the week the 27-year-old will put it behind him to 
concentrate on finding form at club level.

Levein knows both qualifiers will be backs-to-the-wall jobs and will opt for a more defensive formation with a lone central striker.

Boyd quit Scotland two years ago when George Burley was manager but returned to the fold under Levein. The former Rangers star started last month's 2-1 win at home to Liechtenstein but was subbed during the second half as the Scots struggled to break through.

Levein will name four strikers in his squad with Kenny Miler and Steven Fletcher joined by two other frontmen.

Gary Caldwell could also make a shock return to the squad if he comes through a reserve game for Wigan on Tuesday.

The former Celtic defender has yet to play for the Latics this season after summer surgery on both of his hip joints.

The 28-year-old only came off crutches at the start of this month but Caldwell has been working hard on building up his fitness.

He played a closed-door game last week and expects to get 90 minutes for the reserves at West Ham on Tuesday.

Levein would welcome a fit Caldwell back as he is short of players at centre-back.

The Wigan star can also play as a defensive midfielder and that could be important, with Lee McCulloch suspended for the Czech clash and Paul Hartley 
missing both games due to injury.

Former Scotland skipper Barry Ferguson could also fill that role but has yet to decide if he will return to the fold after his banishment over the Boozegate scandal.

The Birmingham ace, 32, will tell Levein tomorrow if he will be available for selection.

The Scotland boss is also considering handing a surprise call-up to QPR's Jamie Mackie.

The English striker qualifies for Levein's side thanks to a grandad who came from Kilmarnock.

And the 24-year-old has caught the eye after bagging eight goals in QPR's stunning start to the Championship campaign.

Levein said: "We have been aware of Jamie for some time and have monitored his progress.

"He has enjoyed a tremendous start to the season and is a striker in form. That is a significant factor in us taking a closer look."

Karim Benzema will miss France's Euro 2012 qualifier against Belarus

PARIS: Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema will miss France's Euro 2012 qualifier against Belarus because of an ankle injury, the French Football Federation said on Friday, a few hours before the game at the Stade de France.

"After a last test on Friday morning, it has been decided Benzema will not be included in the team selected by Laurent Blanc to face Belarus," the FFF said in a statement.

"At this stage of the evolution of his right ankle, the safety of the player was essential."

The 22-year-old Benzema is still under treatment "in the hope he will be able to return to the squad for next Tuesday's game against Bosnia in Sarajevo."

Carlsberg looks forward to Euro 2012

During the recent World Cup, the Carlsberg Football Tour took the game to fans around the country.

The last stop for the tour was the Street Party at Telawi Street 3, Bangsar, which turned out to be a fitting end to a World Cup full of surprises.

Carlsberg Malaysia managing director Soren Ravn was part of the entourage. The Carlsberg crew of cheerleaders, percussionists and dancers gave football fans a great warm-up to the big match.

"The celebration of football here is awesome and Carlsberg is proud to be part of the game with football fans everywhere throughout the month," said Ravn.

"Carlsberg has always been part of premium football, and this electric atmosphere is the reason we'll continue to be a big part of football come 2012 with our sponsorship of the UEFA Euro 2012."

The final tournament will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine between June 8 and July 1, 2012. It is the first UEFA Euro ever to be hosted in Eastern Europe.

The UEFA European Championship is considered the most successful marketing activity for the Carlsberg brand and Carlsberg has been part of UEFA Euro for almost a quarter of a century.

The 2012 tournament will be the seventh consecutive tournament with Carlsberg as the official partner.

"Now that the World Cup is over, we will focus our attention on the Euro 2012," said Soren.

Carlsberg became a sponsor for the UEFA European Championship back in 1988.

"Carlsberg is among the most committed football supportive brands in the world. We continuously strive to provide engaging and broad activities and events for the millions of dedicated Euro fans, and the Euro 2012 will be no exception," said Carlsberg Breweries international marketing director Keld Strudahl.

The European Championships are a huge betting event especially when England qualify for the tournament as they will be expected to do in 2012

Similar to World Cup Betting the European Football Championship is staged every four years with the next tournament taking place in the Ukraine and Poland in 2012. Euro 2008 was the last tournament and that was held in Austria in Switzerland were won by the brilliant Spanish team who will be out for back-to-back wins in 2012. The Spaniards are favourites after winning the 2010 World Cup for the first time in their history in South Africa and will be going for three major championships on the bounce in 2012.

The European Championships are a huge betting event especially when England qualify for the tournament as they will be expected to do in 2012, the whole country gets behind the team with a bet as the nation goes football crazy much like the World Cup.

The other big teams likely to feature in the Ukraine and Poland are the usual names such as Italy, Germany, Portugal, France and Holland along with England and of course Spain who are likely to be the favourites. The European Championships are often seen as a tougher tournament to win than the World Cup as there are no weak teams involved in the group stages.

Qualification for Euro 2012 will begin after the 2010 World Cup has finished and we are into the new season with all the big teams being seeded and as such will be favourites to progress to the finals. However, there is normally at least one big shock in the qualification for the European Championships which means there can be some good bets out there for punters.

All the bookmakers highlighted on this site cover this event extremely well and you can get a Euro Football Free Bet offer by registering and placing a bet if you are a new customer with that bookmaker.

UEFA Launches Euro 2012 Ticket Registration

(WFI) Thousands of football fans have registered to buy tickets for the Euro 2012 tournament being co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

Polskie Radio reports that around 5,000 fans have entered their details at the official UEFA website since registration opened earlier this week.

But tickets for the championships do not go on sale until next spring.

Around 1.4 million tickets will be sold for the 31 matches, including the opening game in Warsaw and the final in Kiev.

As for past European Championships, the majority of tickets will be sold to the public directly via euro2012.com and the participating associations.

Euro 2012 matches will be played in eight stadiums.

The Polish venues are Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw, Wroclaw. In Ukraine, the cities of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv and Lviv are slated to stage games.

Intersport appointed Euro 2012 retail licensee
UEFA and adidas have announced the appointment of Intersport as the official sports shop of licensed products for Euro 2012 and France Euro 2016.

Dedicated spaces will be made available within Intersport stores in 20 countries, including 800 stores across Europe.

The retailer will also operate on-site sales in the stadiums and fan zones at both tournaments on an exclusivity basis.
The first product range will be available in the Euro 2012 host cities early next year.

The deal was agreed after adidas, as part of its long-term strategic football cooperation, transferred its licensee rights to Intersport, which had successfully sold licensed products in its stores for the Euro 2008 tournament.

Franz Julen, CEO of Intersport, said: "The cooperation with UEFA and adidas enables us to further differentiate from the competition and to continue strengthening our position as the world's biggest football retailer."

Roland Auschel, CSO of adidas, said: "We are pleased to further intensify our strong collaboration with Intersport after a highly successful collaboration around the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2008."

Poznan stadium opening
British rock star Sting will next week take part in the inauguration of the Euro 2012 stadium in Poznan.

With thousands of people expected to attend the Monday concert, the event will test the operational capabilities of the stadium as well as the city's traffic management system.

The first football match at the venue is a friendly between Poland and Ivory Coast on Nov. 17.

Poland's three other Euro 2012 stadiums are scheduled to open by the end of next August.

Klychko brothers promote Euro 2012
Ukraine's world heavyweight boxing champions, Vitaliy and Volodymyr Klychko, have joined a campaign to promote the finals in Poland and Ukraine.

They are among the first Friends of UEFA Euro 2012, an initiative that will recruit around 100 people in Ukraine and Poland. Half of them will be public figures selected by the local organising committees.

"I have been a friend of Euro since April 2007 when I took part in the final presentation [of Poland and Ukraine's bid] in Cardiff, and now it's a great pleasure for me and my brother to join this honoured group called Friends of Euro 2012," Vitaliy Klychko told UEFA.com.

His brother, who holds the IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight belts, added: "We know what EURO 2012 can do for us, but now it's time to ask what we can do for the tournament. Every Ukrainian has to contribute to this national project."

UEFA's Euro 2012 operations director Martin Kallen said: "The Klychko brothers are great worldwide representatives for Ukraine, and I'm sure they will represent the Euro 2012 with the same success."

Ukraine's first four members of the scheme signed up earlier this month. They are Olympians Sergey Bubka and Valeriy Borzov, publisher Ivan Malkovych and singer Svyatoslav Vakarchuk. 

The official logo, visual identity and slogan for UEFA EURO 2012™ have been unveiled at a special event in Kyiv’s Mykhailivska Square

The official logo, visual identity and slogan for UEFA EURO 2012™ have been unveiled at a special event in Kyiv’s Mykhailivska Square with co-hosts Ukraine and Poland looking forward to ‘Creating History Together’. Star guests Polish Football Association President Grzegorz Lato, his Football Federation of Ukraine counterpart Grigoriy Surkis and UEFA President Michel Platini officially unwrapped the logo as the highlight of the launch proceedings. The ceremony was attended by the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, representatives from the eight host cities Gdansk, Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw, Lviv, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kyiv and numerous other dignitaries. Visual identity The purpose of the logo is to give UEFA EURO 2012™ a personality of its own, with the visual identity to be applied across a range of promotional applications from tickets to web banners. The objective is to help promote the tournament one of the world’s biggest sporting events by providing an easily recognisable identity with a flavour of the host nations. The logo takes its visual lead from ‘wycinanka’, the traditional art of paper cutting practised in rural areas of Poland and Ukraine, as a tribute to the fauna and flora of the region. EURO bloom The ‘bloom’ logo has a flower representing each of the co-host nations and a central ball symbolising the emotion and passion of the competition, while the stem denotes the structural aspect of the competition, UEFA.

Lothar Matthäus insisted Bulgaria can still claim a place at the UEFA EURO 2012 finals after being unveiled as coach in Sofia, with his attacking philosophy key to his optimism.

New Bulgaria coach Lothar Matthäus has promised his side will play a more expansive style of football as they attempt to kick start their UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying campaign.

Germany's most capped player was unveiled in Sofia after signing a one-year deal, with the option of a further two, following the resignation of Stanimir Stoilov and declared he will demand greater attacking verve from his charges.

"This is a big challenge for me but I think Bulgaria has the potential to do well," said the 49-year-old. "The most important thing is for the players to be fully dedicated. I want them to entertain, enjoy playing and bring the fans joy. I love using an offensive style and with hard work I believe we could get positive results."

The 1980 UEFA European Championship and 1990 FIFA World Cup winner also insists Bulgaria can reach the UEFA EURO 2012 finals, despite losing their opening two matches without scoring. "I think positively and believe we can finish second in our qualifying group," he said. "I know it won't be easy after the defeats against England and Montenegro but we should all be positive. We must all work very hard to reach our targets."

The official logo, visual identity and slogan for UEFA EURO 2012™ have been unveiled at a special event in Kyiv’s Mykhailivska Square

The official logo, visual identity and slogan for UEFA EURO 2012™ have been unveiled at a special event in Kyiv’s Mykhailivska Square with co-hosts Ukraine and Poland looking forward to ‘Creating History Together’. Star guests Polish Football Association President Grzegorz Lato, his Football Federation of Ukraine counterpart Grigoriy Surkis and UEFA President Michel Platini officially unwrapped the logo as the highlight of the launch proceedings. The ceremony was attended by the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, representatives from the eight host cities Gdansk, Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw, Lviv, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kyiv and numerous other dignitaries. Visual identity The purpose of the logo is to give UEFA EURO 2012™ a personality of its own, with the visual identity to be applied across a range of promotional applications from tickets to web banners. The objective is to help promote the tournament one of the world’s biggest sporting events by providing an easily recognisable identity with a flavour of the host nations. The logo takes its visual lead from ‘wycinanka’, the traditional art of paper cutting practised in rural areas of Poland and Ukraine, as a tribute to the fauna and flora of the region. EURO bloom The ‘bloom’ logo has a flower representing each of the co-host nations and a central ball symbolising the emotion and passion of the competition, while the stem denotes the structural aspect of the competition, UEFA.

Bulgaria is begging like a Dog for Berbatov to return

West Germany legend Lothar Matthaeus is aiming to being more misery to English football - by convincing red-hot Dimitar Berbatov to come out of international retirement and face Fabio Capello's men in Euro 2012 qualifying.

Berbatov, who is in sensational form for Manchester United this season with seven goals in six appearances, walked away from international football last season.

Without him, Bulgaria lost to England and Montenegro in their first two qualifiers for the 2012 Euro finals.

But Matthaeus, who captained the West German team that beat England in the Italia 90 semi-finals on the way to lifting the World Cup, has now taken following coach Stanimir Stoilov's resignation and wants the striker to return.

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Bulgaria Has a New Coach

Bulgaria's new coach Lothar Matthaeus promised Thursday to revive the team and to try to convince Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov to return to the squad.

Berbatov quit the national team in May citing personal reasons and his absence is seen by many as having contributed to its weak start to European Championship qualifying.

Matthaeus pledged to do his best in persuading Berbatov to come back, saying "no matter what the motives of a player might be, he should always be ready to play for his national team."

The 49-year-old former Germany midfielder formally signed his one-year contract Thursday with an option for two more years. He replaces Stanimir Stoilov, who resigned after the team's defeats to England and Montenegro in the opening Euro 2012 qualifiers.

"It won't be easy at all after Bulgaria's losses to England and Montenegro ... but this is the great challenge for me," Matthaeus told reporters.

He said he will introduce an attacking style of play and voiced his belief that Bulgaria will make it to Euro 2012 and also to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"I think Bulgaria has the capacity to become at least second in the Euro 2012 qualification group," Matthaeus said.

Bulgaria is in Group G with England, Montenegro, Switzerland and Wales.