Spain Beat Italy 4-0 In Euro 2012 Final

Spain Defeat Italy For Third Successive Major Honour
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Spain retained their European Championship crown with a 4-0 win over Italy in the Euro 2012 final in Kiev.

Goals in the first-half from David Silva and the indefatigable Jordi Alba gave them breathing space at the interval.

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The Italians were reduced to 10 men when their third substitution arrival, Thiago Motta, aggravated a hamstring injury and had to withdraw.

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Another arrival, Fernando Torres, then became the first player to score in two European Championship finals before he assisted fellow substitute and Chelsea team-mate Juan Mata for a fourth with his first touch.

La Roja become the first international side to win three major tournaments in succession, following on from their Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup wins.

Four years ago, Luis Aragones' team ended 44 years without a trophy in Vienna when Torres dinked the ball over Germany's Jens Lehmann. Now they have set an unprecedented level of success in international football.

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Torres also finishes as the tournament's top scorer, despite finishing on three goals along with Alan Dzagoev, Mario Mandžukić, Mario Gomez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Balotelli. By virtue of the assists he provided, he takes the award outright.

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Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque has now won the European Championship to add to the South Africa World Cup win, as well as two Champions League victories in charge of Real Madrid in 2000 and 2002.