Euro 2012 Draw

The World Football Cup is due to start soon and yet we have another competition on the horizon.

For all you Euro footie fans the draw has taken place an the suspense is now over.

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The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012, will be the 14th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. The final tournament will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine between 8 June and 1 July 2012.

The joint Poland/Ukraine bid was chosen by UEFA's Executive Committee on 18 April 2007, in Cardiff, Wales. This bid defeated the other shortlisted bids from Italy and Croatia/Hungary, becoming the third successful joint bid for the European Championship, after those of Belgium/Netherlands, for Euro 2000, and Austria/Switzerland for Euro 2008.

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This will be the last European Championship finals in which only 16 nations will participate, with Euro 2016 being the first European Championship finals with 24 competing nations. Qualification for the final tournament will be staged between September 2010 and November 2011.



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The groups are as follows:-
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Group A: Germany, Turkey, Austria, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan
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Group B: Russia, Slovakia, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND, FYR Macedonia, Armenia, Andorra
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Group C: Italy, Serbia, NORTHERN IRELAND Slovenia, Estonia, Faroe Islands
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Group D: France, Romania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Belarus, Albania, Luxembourg
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Group E: Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Moldova, San Marino
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Group F: Croatia, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Georgia, Malta
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Group G: ENGLAND, Switzerland, Bulgaria, WALES, Montenegro
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Group H: Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Cyprus, Iceland
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Group I: Spain, Czech Republic, SCOTLAND Lithuania, Liechtenstein
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So England are in one of the smallest groups and have a favourable draw and have managed to avoid some difficult countries. Just like the World Cup draw, Fabio Capello will be happy with the other teams in the same group. The other home nations have difficult groups but could do well and perhaps qualify through the play-offs.
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The Official Euro 2012 website address is: http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro2012/

Roger Federer

Roger Federer has won his fourth Australian Open and 16th major title overall after accounting for Scotsman Andy Murray in straight at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday night.

The Swiss world No.1 triumphed 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 in front of the sell-out crowd.

After the match, Murray broke down during his speech when accepting the runners-up trophy and jokingly mentioned Federer's weepy speech from after the 2009 Australian Open final, which he lost to Rafael Nadal.

Federer was always in control of the championship decider and told Murray in front of the crowd after the match that he, too, will win a major title one day.

The victory will no doubt again spark many to say that 28-year-old Federer is the greatest athlete in any individual sport in history, having won two more majors than Pete Sampras to lead the all-time list.

Is Federer the best?