Photo Gallery: The Euro 2012's Colorful Fans
Football Fanfare Spain's Dynasty a Bright Spot for Country in Crisis
The 2012 European Football Championship ended on Sunday night with a historic 4:0 victory by Spain over Italy. Not only did the defending champions retain their title for the first time in the event's history, but Spain also became the first national team to ever win three major championships in a row -- cementing their role as the best footballers in the world after winning the Euro 2008 and the World Cup in 2010.
Spain's spectacular win in Kiev was the culmination of another historic moment as the first Euro tournament to be held in Eastern Europe. Co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine, the run-up to the tournament was marked by criticism of human rights problems in Ukraine, where opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko is imprisoned after her questionable conviction on charges relating to alleged abuse of her position as former prime minister.
Many foreign officials boycotted the tournament events that took place in Ukraine to show their disapproval. But excitement over the sport ultimately overshadowed such concerns, with some 342,000 visitors travelling to Kiev for the final. Spanish fans reportedly outnumbered the Italian fans by nearly two to one, and their enthusiasm seems to have paid off. On the pitch, Italy was clearly no match for Spain, whose fans, like many around Europe, reveled in the chance to forget their country's economic troubles for an evening.
A Welcome Distraction
In the Spanish capital Madrid, tens of thousands of fans gathered in the city center to celebrate the victory. With its widening recession and increasing unemployment, the win offered Spain a chance to feel national pride once again.
"This is the best thing in the world that could happen," 32-year-old civil servant told news agency Associated Press during celebrations in Madrid's Cibeles square, where fans ignited fireworks and danced. "Tonight everyone can forget about the crisis, but it won't disappear, unfortunately."
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who attended the game at Olympic Stadium in Kiev, said he hoped the morale boost would give "comfort" to the Spanish people amid the economic crisis and tough austerity measures.
"We're human beings, we have our problems," he told Spanish broadcaster Telecinco. "Feelings and joy, and everything that comes out of the soul, is beautiful. We have to thank the team and their coaches, they did very well."
