Know the A to Z of championship

Euro 2012 is an unqualified success. Doubters have been silenced and Uefa has been vindicated. The World Cup without Argentina and Brazil has captured the imagination of fans across the globe. Here is an attempt to encapsulate the 14th European Championship in an A to Z format. A: Andrea Pirlo’s midfield master class has made him a frontrunner for the player of the tournament award. The squeaky-clean image and humility of Pirlo show that all top footballers aren’t boorish. B: Bendtner (Nicklas) thought he was being intelligent when he lowered his shorts to show off his underwear brand to the whole world. Uefa wasn’t amused. It fined the daring Dane for indulging in ambush marketing to promote betting firm, Paddy Power. C: Cesc Fabregas is the ace up Spain’s sleeve. The Barcelona star scored the equaliser against Italy, set up the winner in the Croatia match and rammed home the winning penalty in the quarterfinal shootout. D: Debt derby, bail out match, euro zone game and deficit derby are some of the names the media gave to the Greece- Germany quarterfinal. Jokes on Greece’s perilous state of economy proliferated. Greek fans, in turn, booed German chancellor Angela Merkel at full throttle during the quarterfinal, holding her responsible for the austerity drive in their embattled country. E: England once again demonstrated that winning a penalty shootout was beyond them. A sixth loss in seven shootouts means England’s graveyard in major tournaments lies 12 yards away from the goal-line. F: Fans of the Republic of Ireland have become the toast of Euro 2012 for their full- throated songs and sunny disposition. The Green Army didn’t lose its voice even when Republic of Ireland suffered defeat after heavy defeat. G: Gerrard (Steven) is one of the English players to come out with his reputation enhanced. Three of England’s five field goals originated from their captain’s right boot. H: Hosts Poland and Ukraine have reasons to celebrate after staging the 14th edition of the European Championship without major embar- rassments. I: Iker Casillas is the bedrock on which Spanish success is built. Calm and authoritative, the Real Madrid short stopper is a reassuring presence between the sticks. He is as reliable in open play as he is in shootouts. His beautiful girlfriend, Sara Carbonero, added colour to Spain’s campaign as an ever-present TV reporter. J: Joachim Loew’s Germany were neutral fans’ favourites for the title. But an inspired Italy had the measure of the Germans in the semis. Loew has made Germany likeable but not ruthless. K: Khedira (Sami) has become a world-class midfielder during the course of Euro 2012. He even upstaged his illustrious compatriot, Bastian Schweinsteiger, with his allaction style. Khedira’s acrobatic right-footed goal against Greece was one of the highlights of the tournament. L: Lewandowski (Robert) scored the event’s opening goal with a fine downward header against Greece. Subsequently, headers became the leitmotif of Euro 2012. M: Mario Balotelli is like Mount Vesuvius. You just don’t know when he will erupt. He polarises opinions but can never be ignored. Immensely talented and extremely volatile, Balotelli is indeed a compelling package. N: Nasri (Samir) did succeed in bringing back the ghosts of the 2010 World Cup to the French camp with his petulance and foul- mouthed tirade against a journalist after the exit of O: Octopus (Paul the) was sorely missed. The death of the psychic sea creature after the 2010 World Cup has robbed the football world of some foolish entertainment off the field. Elephants, otters, fish, pigs and ferrets tried to fill in the vacuum but they couldn’t match the original soothsayer. P: Prandelli (Cesare) is the man of the moment in Italy. The impeccably dressed boss has impressed fans and critics alike with his tactical brilliance and pleasant demeanour. Q: Questions were raised about the efficacy of Spain’s style. What was appreciated as alluring two years ago has now become boring to many. There is an element of truth in the criticism of the Spanish method because passing without thrust and forward moment is not great to watch. R: Ronaldo’s (Cristiano) search for the elusive international trophy continues. Debates raged on after Portugal’s decision to preserve Ronaldo for the fifth penalty in the shootout against Spain. S: Shevchenko (Andriy) further endeared himself to Ukrainian fans by scoring a superb double in a 2-1 win over Sweden. Advancing years may have slowed Sheva down, but his footballing brain hasn’t been dulled. T: The English press, players and pundits were all proved wrong once again as their doomsday messages about racist violence in Poland and Ukraine lost credibility in the face of a peaceful tournament. U: Ukraine will never forgive the Hungarian official who failed to award a goal after Marko Devic had put the ball past the goal- line against England. The blatantly poor decision, which may have cost Ukraine a place in the quarterfinals, has spawned debates on the need to introduce goal-line technology. V: V is for victory and Vicente del Bosque. The avuncular Spanish manager with a bushy moustache is a shrewd tactician. He doesn’t show any emotions at the touchline but he must be a proud man deep inside for his achievements. Del Bosque is a fatherly figure to his players. He can also be ruthless with his selection. W: Wojciech Szczesny, Blaszczykowski, Piszczek, Wojtkowiak, Wawrzyniak and Mierzejewski are some of the tonguetwisting names of Poland players. Did you hear a sigh of relief from commentators when Poland failed to progress to the quarterfinals? X: The tournament has been bittersweet for players whose names start with the letter ‘X’. Spain’s pass master Xavi Hernandez has been strangely subdued while his compatriot and defensive midfielder Xabi Alonso played a starring role in the 2-0 defeat of France in the quarterfinal. Is Xavi over the hill? Y: Youngsters such as Mario Balotelli, Jordi Alba, Alan Dzagoev and Vaclav Pilar have made Euro 2012 memorable through their fine performances. Z: Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the goal of the tournament with his acrobatic effort against France. The maverickmagician is capable of doing things on a football field that ordinary mortals can’t even dream of.