Every day for the next few football-packed weeks we’ll while away the hours before the actual soccer by hanging out here. Do join us.
Let’s do this! The European Championships have at last arrived and with it ends Ireland’s 10-year wait for a return to a major championships. Excuse us, while we blow up this inflatable hammer. Each day throughout the tournament hang around these daily liveblogs like touts outside Warsaw’s main train station. Send us pictures of where you’re watching the match, your journey to Poland, your tricolour-painted garden wall or sheep, your green tuxedo. Anything.
It’s going to be an interesting ride, whatever happens on the pitch. Take it away there, Gaybo…
YouTube: EastTerracer
Our favourite translator this side of Seamus Heaney (we’re big fans of his Beowulf version, on the sports desk), Manuel Spinelli has her priorities right this morning. While the squad are training she’s sorting out a mid-morning treat:
Some people make a living picking stones from fields. Paul Fennessy is getting away with giggling into his sleeve as he watches Apres Match sketches under oversized headphones. Here’s his favourite seven clips from the RTÉ comedy trio. And here’s one to keep you going til lunch:
YouTube credit: FelixHacks
Speaking of RTÉ panellists, we caught up with Eamon Dunphy yesterday on Stephen’s Green. Here’s what he has to say about the big game™ on Sunday.
“If we get something on Sunday night – a win or a draw – then we’re set up. Then if it comes down to the last match and we have to beat Italy, I would be fairly confident that we could do that. Our record is excellent at big tournaments and part of that is down to morale and spirit of the group. Many of them have been together a long time and they bond well, whereas other countries have problems when they’re in camp and rows often break out.”
Read the rest of Ben Blake’s article here, if you can’t wait ’til this evening to hear more from Eamo.
Reader Eoin Cantwell sends us this from the airport. Bravo, sir. Bravo.
We have Miguel Delaney on the ground in Poland (and hopefully Ukraine) throughout the next month or so. This morning he runs through each team and what they can hope and expect. Guess who he’s writing about here…
They’ll most likely get: a tough battle for second in the group, ending with elimination.
News reaches us that Shay Given is training with the squad at the moment. And in front of him? The same 10 in bibs as yesterday. So it looks like we know the starting XI.
While Manuela is tucking into the sweets, see below, it seems Stephen Hunt is cooking up a storm in the kitchen. [Image via PogMaGol]
Well, I nearly crashed the car into the front of Josephine’s in Urlingford last night when the Off The Ball lads had Trap walk into their Polish man cave. I’m looking forward to Murph’s column with TheScore on Monday.
YouTube: Newstalk106108fm
The lads known as Tyrone2Poland have lost a window on the way to Poznan; keep an eye out for it on the autobahn.
So are you going to watch the match tonight? Pub or home? It’s a debate that will ring through the ages. One brewing company, Eight Degrees, have come up with this new option for beer drinkers. The picture is taken in Against The Grain, I’m told:
UEFA has now been made aware that there were some isolated incidents of racist chanting that occurred at the open training sessions of the Dutch team (on Wednesday) in Krakow,” a statement released today reads. “UEFA has not yet received any formal complaint from the KNVB (Dutch football federation).”
Miguel has just been talking to Mr Trapattoni after squad training and is currently writing what will be another award-winning report, I’m sure. In the meantime, here’s one choice quote from the Italian:
“I am not [exactly] excited. I am a little tense. But I want to keep a level of tension. A manager has to. It keeps the players [on edge]. It’s a positive tension.”
I think we know how he feels, right?
PELLUNTYS! Ciaran O’Raghallaigh has uploaded this footage of the Irish players practising spotters. Paul McShane seems to fancy himself as someone to step up.
YouTube: Ciarano
We’ve been on to Champion Sports in Dublin Airport where one unlucky Ireland fan seems to have left his match tickets. Are you out there Oliver? Here’s the full story.
*Cue Ultimate Warrior music*
Someone’s just sent us this — with the message ‘gotta check this out’ — through our upload function thing on our new app. We’ve got Thailand behind us now too…
Youtube: GoodChildFoundation
So we told you Miguel Delaney was just out of Trap’s press conference earlier. Here’s what we learned.
PS: he loves you, Ireland fans.
Right, I’m off for my carb-loaded lunch of chicken and pasta ahead of the big games tonight. Conor Nagle will be parachuting in, in true opening ceremony style, to keep this party going.
Witam wszystkich!
That’s “hello everyone” in Polish, or so Google Translate informs me. Well, it was either that or “Halo,” and I opted for the more exotic, consonant-heavy option…
Anyway, before this here liveblogging extravaganza takes the road less travelled, check out this tweet from young @Fofarty:
“@YouBoysInGreen chap from Kilnamanagh is cruising round in this beast. Flags, mirror covers n hudcaps all done now too”
Card-happy Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers will take charge of Ireland’s tournament opener against Croatia. He’s dismissed 10 players in his last 27 matches (and has yet to witness the athletic majesty of a Paul McShane leveller).
There’s an emoticon for what you’re feeling: :-/
Damian Coughlan, the unfortunate – or, to play devil’s advocate, negligent – fan who left tickets for each of Ireland’s group stage matches in Dublin Airport, can rest easy (details here).
Dr. Ian McHale, a senior lecturer in statistics at the University of Salford and chair of the Royal Statistical Society’s sports department (yes, an actual thing), has worked mathematical magic to chart the likely course of Euro 2012.
Taking account of numerous variables – everything from current form to the perceived ability of nations to cope with pressure - McHale has ranked each team’s likelihood of graduating from the group stage and, eventually, leaving Kiev with the Trophée Henri Delaunay.
According to the study, Spain (12%) are most likely to win the tournament, closely followed by Joachim Loew’s Germany (11%), England (10%) and Russia (9%). The Netherlands, World Cup finalists in 2010, only merit a seeding of fifth.
Ireland (7%) are ranked eighth, above both Italy (10th) and Croatia (13th).
Under different circumstances, Miguel’s most recent tweet would qualify as one of the most boring in social media history. As it is, it’s the stuff of heady anticipation…
And lo, the Score’s rugby-anorak-in-residence came down with Euro 2012 fever…
Let’s pause for a… KIM KARDASHIAN UPDATE:
After spending several minutes locked in mortal combat with a set of tangled iPod headphones (two sets, actually, plus a set of phone cables… nightmare), I’m back in business!
Time to turn our attention to matters political:
The Ukrainian government has responded to British Foreign Secretary William Hague’s decision to confirm a government boycott of the tournament’s group stage.
Speaking to assembled media about the announcement, conceived of as an expression of solidarity with jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, ambassador Volodymyr Khandogiy suggested the move was inappropriate:
“There are plenty of opportunities and fora and formats where we can discuss these issues, in the Council of Europe, the EU and bilaterally. We are ready to continue these discussions and to accept criticism. But we would like to put our perspective on these issues also. The reason for not attending I don’t understand, since I believe that sport and politics, they don’t mix.”
(Full report from the Guardian’s Luke Harding: here)
Quiz time:
How many of these retro kits can you identify?
If you’ve yet to board a flight to Eastern Europe and suffer from a variety of germ-related neuroses, you might want to peruse the HuffPost’s latest highbrow slideshow: The 5 Germiest Places At the Airport.
Your sweaty cacks are mysteriously absent.
It’s real! RTÉ coverage has just started…
Eamon’s already cranking up the populist rhetoric:
“I’m optimistic. I think we have a good chance of getting to the second stage. Going around town today – the place is buzzing… It’s a nice occasion for the nation, and I think we have a squad of players that deserve respect…”
No tears yet, though.
Tony O’Donoghue on Shay Given’s fitness:
“In the last three days, we’ve had Alan Kelly, Marco Tardelli and Giovanni Trappatoni telling us he’s 100% fit, but if he was 100% fit, he would have taken 100% part in training… He took full part in the training session today, and it was a relief to see him jumping and diving around, kicking footballs.”
John Giles on Shay Given’s fitness:
“I don’t think he’d be [training] unless he was ready to play… He was doing all the things you’d want him to do two days before a game…”
Eamo:
“No! No! I don’t think it’s great news… Clearly, he hasn’t been doing the work he needs to be doing… Goalkeepers need to be working a lot on their reaction stuff, and I don’t think he’s been doing that.”
Liam Brady:
“I was around them a couple of years ago, and Shay doesn’t do a lot of training… I disagree with Eamonn; I don’t think goalkeepers need to be doing a lot of training. Westwood is fantastic replacement.”
Not only is this the catchiest Euro 2012 anthem to date, it features a Dunphy-led tin whistle solo!
Shred it, Eamo! (Truly, he romances the tin whistle.)
France coach Laurent Blanc, he of the trendy frames and soul patch, has added his voice to the chorus of Football Men critical of Roy Hodgson’s decision to omit Rio Ferdinand from England’s tournament squad.
The Telegraph’s Jeremy Wilson has the quotage:
“I know Rio Ferdinand well and it’s true that it looks from my point of view that the choice not to pick him is not a footballing choice… There are clearly other things. I think that Rio Ferdinand is a very good player even if he is closer to the end of his career. It was very surprising for me to see that he was not picked despite all the injuries they have at the back.”
Our live coverage of Poland vs. Greece, the tournament curtain-raiser, has begun in earnest.
Join Tony Cuddihy for minute-by-minute updates at the end on the other end of this convenient link.
Got your patriotic blinkers on yet?
And so it begins…
The internets are ablaze with sporting positivity and goodwill, but it would be remiss of us to ignore the controversy surrounding the host countries’ somewhat patchy record when it comes to discouraging the racial abuse of athletes.
Guardian columnist Richard Williams claims Uefa’s refusal to intervene following the Netherlands’ shambolic open training session yesterday afternoon makes both it an “accessor[y] to a crime”.
“The attempt to pretend that the abuse came from fans disappointed that Krakow was not included in the tournament’s match schedule flies in the face of the testimony from the players themselves… by reaching an exculpatory judgment on a matter of great sensitivity with what seems like indecent haste, Uefa has made it look as though it is primarily interested in sweeping the matter under the red carpet on which it will parade at the opening ceremony.”
@OptaJoe informs me that Carlos Velasco Carballo, currently refereeing Poland-Greece on the other blog, saw fit to issue 16 red cards in the 19 Liga matches he officiated in this season.
Yowza!
As Lewandowski nods Poland into the lead and, in doing so, gets this tournament properly underway, it’s time for me to bring this here liveblog to a halt.
Fret not, I’ll be back in little over an hour with live coverage of the evening’s second game, Russia v. Czech Republic.
Widzenia!/ Slán!/ Goodbye!
Mr. Wu your organisation is a complete joke
I’m speechless after that
Boxing should be droped from the next Olympics, however to do this we would need a strong IOC, which is a cesspool of corruption so it ties in perfectly with Mr. WU and the AIBA, international committees for sport such as Boxing, Soccer, Cycling and Athletics are at an all time low and are doing damage to their sports, Mr Wu statement is a perfect example of this.
Conlon was ripped off.
Anyone watching the Joe Joyce fight yesterday would be puzzled how he lost on points through every round. Even though it was hinted at by the BBC pundits they took the defeat in a dignified way and said they would reserve judgement of the scoring until later. What else can you do in the situation. The fight was a stitch up.
I have no salary. And nobody has ever attempted to ‘fix’ the outcome of a sport while placing large bets on this, now who would have a reputation and history for doing this…
Boxing should be ‘doped’ in the next Olympics. Sure, one of them tried that trick this time and it did not work out too well!
Does Mr Wu not know we all have eyes in our heads? Joke of an association.
Lol ray. But u are right. Michael trained hard for four years only to be robbed in public at the first hurdle. So I don’t blame him for being hurt and angry.
So basically he’s saying “there’s no need for it but if he hadn’t been so vocal we wouldn’t be looking at potential change. And now we’re going to try to find a way to punish him.”
Mr.Wu your organisation is corrupt too the core by the looks of it.
Well Deborah we all have eyes in our head some need glasses to see clearly AIBAare approaching SPECSAVERS to sponser 2020 Olympics with no salaries etc they probably couldn’t afford to perfect the eye sight. Michael Conlon didn’t humilitate the judges they did that themselves with the eyes of the world on them. We need to Boycott next Olympics until AIBA clean up their act AND it is open and transparent with right of appeal. Need enquiry into this lot of judges and when he cleans up his act we will require our contestants to return the respect. They’re a laughing stock and their medals dubious.
He did not bargain for this scale of a backlash. He sounds like a rambling dictator. Why did the AIBA take a 10M loan from Kazakstan? The OCI is now claiming 2 irish boxers placed bets. If there ever was a strategy to divert attention away from the OCI and Pat Hickey we saw it today. It was no coincidence his solicitor made a statement today….emphasizing his age. They are tryimg to get the media on side. After the THG director was arrested in 2014 and they knew about Brazils anti-touting laws they still went back for the olympics to make a profit. Pat Hickey was central to the whole thing. His arrogance has landed him in jail.
Corrupt or incompetent.
He’s one or the other.
Either way AIBA is a joke.
That’s rich,they have humiliated the boxers and the sport itself.No doubt something will come out in several years time stating what we all already knew.
“People accuse the AIBA of corruption. Please give me the evidence.”
The evidence sir, is the crazy and wrong decisions of your judges. If they’re not corrupt, then they’re utterly incompetent.
How about looking back at every singla e crazy refereeing and judhes scorecard decision in London 2012???
Should that be enough evidence for you?
And how about in order to cease more of these scandals, why not abolish the professional scoring system??
So far, it isn’t working out as well as you would like it to, AIBA.
And ye can feck off. Conlan is right. Amateur boxing stinks.
Ah yes…. The I don’t have an account line….where have I heard that before…..
Sure he won that few bob on the horses
“The money was just resting in my account”………..
So he says there is nothing to see here, but we will review our judging system anyway. Ya right. Also whats the point in reviewing a fight after the fact , if you can’t appeal it.
Will they ban him from amateur boxing. That will really hurt. Do they not think before speaking. . Not just corrupt but inept aswell
An amateur ban would make no difference as he could compete in Tokyo as a professional but he won’t.
Conlan is leaving amateur boxing behind, so he can speak his mind without fear of what disciplinary action will be taken. He can just ignore it.
The other boxers who didn’t complain still have a future career to consider.
If he did the same in a pro match he would be suspended. Some behaviour is just not acceptable.
Shut up Kal. Is the behaviour of the judges acceptable?
Well said Kal.
Sick comeback Ching bro
“Judges have no intentions. Why do (you think) they hate your country? The judges, why do they want it in favour of this (country) over the other one? There’s no reason.”
Because of a financial incentive? Does he take people for morons?
Mr.wu doesn’t like money was he sleeping out under the stars .he might need it to pay a few bills
You stole a medal from Conlan and Taylor, these people got exactly what they deserved.
He doesn’t have an Account, he reminds me of another shifty character who didn’t have an Account, likes the Horses as well I’d say, these lads think they’re just too smart and this lad will be brought back to earth fairly soon as well especially if the rest of the member organisations have the balls to shout STOP.
They never do.
Mr. Wu doesn’t know his arse from his elbow. Is he even a Judge? He played Basketball, thats it! Trying to introduce Pro-Box rules to Amateur Boxing is a major no-go. When was an Amateur boxer ever awarded for aggression? I judged for years and I can tell you for a fact that Mr. Wu’s ideal world of eliminating favouritism in boxing, whether at club level or the Olympics, will never exist. Michael Conlons outburst was a result of having continually witnessed corruption down through the years, and guess what? It took an outburst like this to shake the whole rotten kip up. Wu addresses Conlon’s reaction but not the spark that lit the fuse. If I was Conlon, I’d Fcuk Wu Too.
Seemingly, Wu contested IOC Presidency against Bach so why would he need a bank account when he has the IOC and Boxing paying for everything. Seems to be very popular with the African nations as well! His wiki (and newspaper references) are worth having a look at.
That president is not fit for office Michael was let down badly by the judges on the day he was right to have a go at them ,
Another Sepp Blather!
Well done to Canada it seems as though all other national organisations are content to be dictated to by AIBA. Stand up for your boxers and reject this corrupt organisation who have shamed a beautiful sport.
Hello — the olympics has little to do about the athletes but all to do with associations junkets and gravy train. Just look at Dumb and Dumber (Hickey and Delaney). Whether they are guilty or not they both bleed the sports dry of funds and facilities etc.
I’m not too sure that many pro boxers will fight in the Olympics in future and risk be shown up by amateurs.
Wouldn’t do their profile any good
I thought the AIBA president’s name was Yu Pai Mee…………
How are they going to sanction someone who never wants to fight for them again..
>> A lot of disciplinary action will follow.
Action against a boxer who will most likely never, ever choose to box for you again.
I’m sure Conlan’s bricking himself.
Wu is a plonk.
There’s an Abbott and Costello routine in here somewhere… Who is a plonk?
Wu who?
Michael Conlan spoke the truth. He had the courage to speak about the corruption that exists. I’m sure they probably think he is sh*ting himself about them wanting to discipline him. Well done Michael for saying it as it is. And the best of luck for the future.
Corrupted clowns.
I wonder if Mr Wu has an account with his local bookmaker.The man must be heavily medicated, something’s not right with him to come out with such shite.
You can be sure the lads doing the judging have a love of the folding stuff and have accounts to deposit it in.
His ‘i hate money’ comments are ridiculous and insulting. Where did he stay in Rio and which restaurants did he eat in? Something tells me if the answers aren’t the Travelodge and Mickey D’s.
If the judges were so good why did they suspend some and send others home
WOW. Me thinks the Lady doth protest too much.
This gobs hite has a neck on him! Lies, corruption, cheating and he has the audacity to blame the guy that has been so utterly wronged!!
Agree with all the previous comments however, Conlan’s post fight behaviour was embarrassing.
I disagree, this has created a lot of awkward noise and generated heat on AIBA and they don’t like it one bit. Well done Michael
The only inappropriate thing he did was raise his middle finger, his accusations of cheating seemed fair given what had transpired.
That’s the attitude that organisations like the Aiba play on. The notion that you are some how “above it” if you don’t react with emotion or the Irish thing of, ‘if you have nothing nice to say don’t say it’. Thats bull it lets the organisations in question away with murder.
That’s the problem with protests, the quiet ones rarely get noticed.
Justified, not embarrassing.
Im sure hes terrified of a little “disciplinary”…..
Nikitin couldn’t show his face at the semi-finals!!!!!Battered.
Fuk u Mr.Wu
British lad Joyce robbed of a gold medal yesterday and in another final a Cuban, a reject from the Cuban boxing team won gold for Kazakhstan to equal the gold won by one of his former teammates now fighting for Bahrain.
A complete joke.
Another Pencil Pusher without a Clue and Account to Nobody. They seem to be Everywhere and u all walks of Life. Isn’t it Funny that Only Ordinary People seem to be actually Punished
God my Spelling is atrocious. Accountable and in all walks of life. Ta
Conlan’s response: Go bleep your self, what part of I’ll never fight amateur again don’t ya get?
Poor Michael Conlon, was ‘shafted’ by association, to a person who used prohibited substance….you hadn’t a chance, Michael. See how they treated Shane Ross, in Rio, – a representative of our Government- the arrogant sh…s. They don’t deserve your talents, or loyalty…like the RC church, they- OCI- believe themselves immune…public opinion, could change. They won’t always have a Usain Bolt, to make them ‘look good’.
Another Blatter. Enough already.
Our Elected representatives are VERY quite on this issue. They should be shouting for explanations from the IABA
‘You can go through the right channels..’ to beg for someone to ‘review’ it! Seriously, the option to appeal was taken away. If Conlan didn’t react the way he did they would of just brushed it under the carpet, they have no interest in the integrity of the sport. Hypocrites
Corrupt officials
Who paid that langer to come up with that statement?? Clear as day Michael won the game not sure what that clown was watching but defiantly wasn’t Michael Conlon’s game for sure..
They dropped the ability to appeal judging decisions in this Olympics. Leaving the door open for the corruption to have a free hand. Pat Hickey shouldn’t have been the only one arrested!!!
If only the IABA stood up for their principles???
Mr Wu should get together IABA they both make bad decisions
“INTERNATIONAL BOXING ASSOCIATION (AIBA) President Ching-Kuo Wu has hit out at the behaviour of Michael Conlan at the Rio Olympics.” FOR SPEAKING THE TRUTH.
The INTERNATIONAL BOXING ASSOCIATION (AIBA) is a joke and corrupt in my personal view, it is rotten to the core in my view and many will agree with me on that?
Bertie Wu
Is that man totally delusional? And the Levit fight!!!
It would be interesting to hear Billy Walsh’s take on this aiba statement
Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, talking rubbish.
Can we all tweet AIBA “Corrupt or incompetent?” . It’s sickening reading their attempt at self defence. Conlan and his cheated counterparts did well not to punch the heads off them
Or in summary ” trust me, there is nothing to see here. Do you know how hard it is being me”. I love the fact that even though there is no problem he had a solution for thing that isn’t a problem. All good from my side
To be fair, he has a point.
Conlan’s choice of language diluted the valid points he was making. There are ways of making your point without effing and blinding like a corner boy – embarrassing.
As I stated in my previous post, I agree with all the sentiments in support of Michael Conlan and his valid accusations, I just feel his choice of language and behaviour were wrong. There are ways of making your point and there are ways that are not. I am afraid Michael’s behaviour diluted his point.
Get away with you Robert. When RTE interviewed Conlan after the fight they must have known what he would say would not necessarily have been for public viewing and what’s more those listening to him would probably have said the same themselves. The decision was scandalous and Conlan is no patsy. It was a heat of the moment thing and Conlan had produced a fabulous performance against a world rated fighter and he knew it. To give him his due though he was interviewed on Newstalk radio the following evening and he gave a brilliant interview whereby he apologised for the language but not the sentiments. He is a winner and for the AIBA to come out with this nonsense says more about their lack of moral decency than anything Conlan has done. When he turns professional he’ll make one hell of a fighter but nothing can make up for the damage done to him by people who wouldn’t know it seems a punchbag from a balloon.
Gus . 100 percent covered.
“I don’t need money… I don’t like it.” Would go ever go and shyte
He should have punched the head of them aswell!
Enough is enough and someone had to call time. The silence of our Irish Boxing Officials and our Sporting Organisations speaks volumes. Why put our young athletes through this. Michael if your worst behavior was giving them the finger and using the F… word openly compared to blatant erroneous marking or ticket touting you have my support 100% at least I’d know where I’d stand
Ching-Kou Wu can F**k-Right Off.
Wu you ain’t got a clue It’s called betting and it’s easy if you know the results
Mr wu Wat a moron they have no reason to hate your country has he never heard of a thing called betting