Italy emerge victorious after pulsating showdown
Andrea Pirlo put Italy in front from the penalty spot in the 25th minute of Tuesday’s eagerly-anticipated repeat of the 2006 World Cup final after Eric Abidal clattered into Luca Toni and was dismissed by Slovakian referee Lubos Michel.
Abidal’s sending off was a second hammer blow for the French after inspirational playmaker Franck Ribery was carried off on a stretcher at Zurich’s Letzigrund stadium with a knee injury.
After France’s elimination from the tournament was sealed, defender Lilian Thuram, 36, and midfielder Claude Makelele, 35, announced their international retirements.
With Netherlands already leading 1-0 in Berne, Daniele De Rossi made sure of Italy’s victory on 62 minutes when his free kick was deflected into the net off the foot of Thierry Henry, standing in as captain for the injured Patrick Vieira.
Two matches are still to be played on Wednesday in the group phase of the three-week tournament co-hosted by Switzerland and Austria with all but one place in the quarter-finals decided.
Sweden and Russia are vying for the remaining spot and the winner of their Group ‘D’ match in Innsbruck will play Netherlands on Saturday in Basel.
The Dutch established themselves as the classiest act in a Group ‘C’ full of thoroughbreds and despite fielding virtually a second-string team against Romania, won at a canter with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin van Persie scoring their goals.
In the other three quarter-finals, Portugal play Germany in Basel on Thursday, Croatia take on Turkey in Vienna on Friday and Spain play Italy two days later, also in the Austrian capital.
As Italian fans took to the streets to celebrate, coach Roberto Donadoni said he never doubted Italy would go through.
“I knew that it would turn out like this. We’ve got a great group that really sticks together and has the right spirit.”
Italian jubilation was tempered, however, by the knowledge that Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso were both booked and will miss the Spain match.
French coach Raymond Domenech said later that his team had a future — they have “guts, showed courage” — but his own immediate prospects are not so clear after such an early exit.
Tuesday’s tense repeat of the 2006 World Cup final came as Austrians reflected on the evaporation of their Euro 2008 dream five days after co-hosts Switzerland were also knocked out by Turkey’s dramatic 2-1 comeback win in Basel.
Germany captain Michael Ballack blasted a 49th-minute free kick to secure a 1-0 win in Vienna and send Austria out at the group stage having failed to win a match or score a goal from open play.
“Perhaps the European Championship came two years too early for us ... but we have some very promising players and we have a bright future,” said Friedrich Stickler, president of the Austrian Football Federation.
Austria coach Josef Hickersberger was involved in one of the more bizarre incidents of the tournament on Monday when he and Germany coach Joachim Loew were sent to the stands by Spanish referee Manuel Mejuto.
The incident, shortly before half-time, followed repeated exchanges involving the fourth official.
UEFA said it would decide on Wednesday whether Loew could sit on the bench in Germany’s Euro 2008 quarter-final against Portugal in Basel on Thursday.
Loew’s preparations for the Portugal clash were also disrupted by the news that midfielders Lukas Podolski and Torsten Frings are both doubtful for the quarter-final.
Podolski has scored three of Germany’s four goals in the tournament and with forwards Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose in poor form, his absence would be a significant blow for the three times winners.—Reuters