ANDRES INIESTA WAS named player of Euro 2012 on Monday by European football governing body UEFA.
The 28-year-old Iniesta – who was man of the match in Spain’s historic 4-0 win over Italy in Sunday’s final – was selected by a technical committee made up of 11 people.
The Barcelona midfielder, who was also La Roja’s goalscoring hero in the 1-0 win over the Dutch in the 2010 World Cup final, was one of 10 Spaniards to figure in the 23-man squad of the tournament.
Spain’s victory saw them become the first national side to win an unprecedented three successive major titles having also won Euro 2008.
Meanwhile, the squad of the tournament was made up primarily of players who reached the semi-finals, with Steven Gerrard of England and Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic the only exceptions.
Bizarrely, there was no place for Fernando Torres, who was handed the Golden Boot award by virtue of the fact that he had played the fewest
minutes of all the players who scored three goals in the tournament.
Euro 2012 team of the tournament: Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Ita), Iker Casillas (Spa), Manuel Neuer (Ger)
Defenders: Gerard Pique (Spa), Fabio Coentrao (Por), Philipp Lahm (Ger), Pepe (Por), Sergio Ramos (Spa), Jordi Alba (Spa)
Midfielders: Daniele De Rossi (Ita), Steven Gerrard (Eng), Xavi (Spa), Andres Iniesta (Spa), Sami Khedira (Ger), Sergio Busquets (Spa), Mesut Ozil (Ger), Andrea Pirlo (Ita), Xabi Alonso (Spa)
Forwards: Mario Balotelli (Ita), Cesc Fabregas (Spa), Cristiano Ronaldo (Por), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Swe), David Silva (Spa)
Doesn’t matter we are going to win anyway simple!!!!
@rowan hill: And ye call leinster fans cocky!
@Bazalicous Dunne: They are going to win, Toulouse are 9th in the Top 14 right now and are terrible when playing away from home.
@Rudiger McMonihan: I do agree to be fair.. munster by 18.
Bonus having David out but with Bezy fit and Dusautoir rested it’s looking more and more like Toulouse could be up for this one; here’s hoping Rassie saves the best for this
Tough for Toulouse to compete when Munster can just sign up Springboks whenever someone gets hurt
@garland greene: indeed, Toulouse are well known as being the paupers of European rugby.
@garland greene: u must have been abused by a south african as a child
@garland greene: this is why we need red thumbs, because of tools like garland greene and all his previous incarnations.
@Padraic Courtney: Disagree. Garland is exactly the reason we don’t need red thumbs, they are his viagra.
Tbh lads I think I play moreno lb and milner to replace lallana. You’ll have two players who know the position so klopp won’t have to teach anyone a new position in the next 3 days and Everton won’t be as threating down the rigth with coalman’s injury. Give moreno these next few game and if he can’t cut it get rid.
@Lorcán Coyle: why the he’ll did my comment end up here. Sort it out.
@Lorcán Coyle: I know your comment ended up in the wrong section but I’d say Henderson will come back in for Lallana…