Soccer / Football : UEFA Euro 2008

Germany 30.6 : Germany captain Michael Ballack shook off a calf injury to play in the EURO 2008 final, but he is going home empty-handed again, with Germany falling 1-0 to Spain in the final of the European Championship on Sunday. Second place yet again, just more than a month after Ballack and his Chelsea teammates lost a penalty-kick shootout to Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League and the Red Devils beat them to take the Premier League title.

Although the 31-year-old midfielder won Bundesliga and cup titles with Bayern Munich, he also lost in the UEFA 2002 Champions League final when Bayer Leverkusen went down to Real Madrid. Ballack also missed out at the 2000 and 2004 Euros when Germany were knocked out in the first round each time. He also missed out on playing in the World Cup final in 2002 in Japan because of suspension and had to watch Germany lose to Brazil 2-0.

Spain 30.6 : Spain striker David Villa has been crowned top scorer at EURO 2008 despite missing the final because of a thigh injury. The 26-year-old Valencia forward, who hurt his right leg when taking a free kick in the semifinal win, scored four goals in Spain's first two games at the tournament, three against Russia and one against Sweden. Villa was unable to add to that tally, but nevertheless finished one goal clear of Germany's Lukas Podolski, Roman Pavlyuchenko of Russia, Switzerland's Hakan Yakin and Semih Senturk of Turkey.

Spain 30.6 : Spain have been crowned European champions for the second time as Fernando Torres's first-half goal on Sunday proved enough to defeat Germany in the final of EURO 2008. Torres, who had been overshadowed by teammate David Villa all tournament, scored in the 33rd minute to down the three-time European champions and earn his nation's first European title in 44 years. Spain won their only previous crown in this competition in 1964 and had not been beyond the quarter-finals of any major tournament in 24 years.

Spain 29.6 : Spain coach Luis Aragones led his team to their first major title in 44 years with a 1-0 win over Germany in the European Championship final. However, it was the 69-year-old's final game with the national team. Aragones said long before the start of EURO 2008 that he would leave when it was over.

Aragoness, speaking a day before the final, suggested the country's football federation had not done enough to make him stay with the national team. Meanwhile, Spanish media said that the coach should reconsider his decision to quit after bringing Spain to their first major championship final in 24 years.

Group stage

Quarter final

Semi-finals

Final