Spain reign in Ukraine! Spanish fans in fiesta mood as they win electrifying Euro 2012 in style with emphatic 4-0 win
By DAVID BAKER
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Nervous football fans flocked to the Olympic Stadium in Kiev tonight to cheer on their sides as they watched defending European Champions Spain take on Italy in the Euro 2012 final.
And Spanish fans, dressed head to toe in the red and yellow - colours synonymous with their team - are in fiesta mood as they out-passed and outclassed their opponents.
Two goals in the first half set the tone early on and late goals from Chelsea stars Fernando Torres and Juan Mata with just minutes to spare confirmed the victory.
Winners: Spanish fans celebrate during the Euro 2012 final as their side win in style
Stylish: Spain's soccer fans cheer during their emphatic 4-0 win
Fiesta time: Spain fans enjoy the atmosphere in Kiev after getting in their teams colours
Champions: Spain's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the final of Euro 2012
Celebrations: The Spain squad celebrate after the final whistle confirms them as European Champions again
Celebrating wildly in the stands Spain's contingent of support had to wait just 14 minutes for their side to take the lead as David Silva, who ply's his trade with English side Manchester City, put his team ahead.
And just before the close of the first half they had doubled their lead thanks to a Jordi Alba strike.
After the break the game appeared to go from bad to worse for the Italians as substitute Thiago Motta limped off after just minutes after coming on.
Cause for celebration: Spain fans had a lot to shout about as their side scored twice in the first half against Italy
Back in Rome: Italian supporters cheer for their team before watching the final of the UEFA EURO 2012 between Spain and Italy in the ancient Roman chariot racing stadium 'Circo Massimo'
Gladiator:A fan of Italy hopes for a gladiatorial effort from his team as they take on defending champions Spain
United: A Spanish and Italian go to great lengths to show support for their respective side but are happy to sit together at the showpiece final
As the last of Italy's allocated substitutes it meant that they had to finish the game a player short, with just 10.
With Spain comfortable in possession and by now cutting through their opponents with ease there were late goals for Torres and Mata to secure the stylish win.
There appeared to be extra incentive for the Spanish side in tonight's all or nothing tie as the victory saw them make football history.
Headmaster: David Silva heads Spain into the lead in the 14th minute
Two-nil: Spain's Jordi Alba, a recent buy for football giants Barcelona celebrates after scoring the second goal against Italy
Creating history: Chelsea star Fernando Torres confirms the win with a third goal for Spain
It's all over: Another Chelsea star, Juan Mata, puts the icing on the cake as he slots home to win the game 4-0
The win helped them to become the first team ever to win three consecutive major titles on the international stage.
Having won the World Cup in South Africa two years ago and the previous European Championships the win created history.
Pockets of Spanish fans turned the 60,000 seater stadium in to sea of red and yellow while many Italian fans came dressed as Gladiators and even Super Mario as they hoped their side could stage an upset.
Ready to go: Fans from both sides prepare for the game inside the ground
Thumbs up from us: Spain and Italy fans mix in Kiev before the final
Banter: Fans from both sides share a joke as they prepare for a tense final
Felling lucky: An Italian fan seems in a positive mood ahead of his sides game against Spain
Familiar faces: Fans dressed as Super Mario pose with a Balotelli lookalike, The Italian striker who plays club football for Manchester City
The pair met earlier on in the tournament, playing out a 1-1 draw in the group stage, but many tipped the Spanish to conquer on the big stage, prior to the big game.
Spain made it through to the final following wins against France in the quarter finals and a tense penalty win against Portugal in the semi's.
Italy, who sent England packing in the quarter finals, made it through to the showpiece finale after a surprise win against Germany.
Back in Spain fans were out in Barcelona and Madrid to watch the game on big screens in the city centres, cheering wildly as the first two goals went in, giving them a commanding lead.
Back in Rome spirits were high before the game but a difficult first half meant it was always going to be hard for them to get back into the game.
That's entertainment: Dancers perform for the Euro 2012 closing ceremony
Coming to an end: As the tournament nears its end a spectacular show is put on to mark the final
Orchestrating support: Spain fans bang the drum and take to the megaphone to get behind their team
Not to be left out: Italian fans show their support before the start of the game
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2167363/Spain-reign-Ukraine-Spanish-fans-fiesta-mood-win-electrifying-Euro-2012-style-emphatic-4-0-win.html#ixzz1zPafExIJ