Dutch coach Guus Hiddink has said he is aiming to make big-spending Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala one of the teams to beat in the domestic league.

Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky will be out for between six and eight weeks after undergoing another operation on an injured Achilles tendon, the Prague daily Sport reported on Wednesday.

Russia's football bosses talked to ex-England manager Fabio Capello on Thursday in the hope of convincing one of the sport's biggest names to revive the flagging fortunes of the national squad.

Russia's football bosses on Thursday held talks with ex-England manager Fabio Capello in the hope of luring one of the sport's biggest names to revive the flagging fortunes of the national team.

Intrigue mounted Thursday over the identity of Russia's new manager amid reports that Fabio Capello was already in Moscow to negotiate terms for a contract to revive the squad's fortunes.

Left-back Jordi Alba and winger Juan Mata, both scorers in Spain's 4-0 Euro 2012 final victory over Italy last weekend, were called up to the Spanish squad for the London Olympics on Tuesday.

Bonuses owed to the France team for having made the quarter-finals of the recently-concluded European Championships have been frozen, the French football federation announced on Tuesday.

Mario Balotelli struck twice to seal Italy's 2-1 semi-final win over Germany to leave the Germans' Euro 2012 ambitions in tatters while the Azzurri march on to the final.

Germany captain Philipp Lahm has admitted they were not "clever enough" after Joachim Loew's team was found wanting in their 2-1 Euro 2012 semi-final defeat to Italy.

Germany coach Joachim Loew has admitted title talk is cheap after his young team showed plenty of potential at Euro 2012, but came up short when it mattered in their 2-1 semi-final defeat to Italy.

Poles who get reflected glory from seeing Germany's Polish-born Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski in action overcame the gloom of their idols' Euro 2012 exit, saying Italy deserved their gutsy 2-1 semi-final win.

Striker Mario Balotelli struck twice to seal Italy's 2-1 semi-final win over Germany on Thursday to leave the Germans' Euro 2012 ambitions in tatters while the Azzurri march on to the final.

Spain retaining their European title would benefit the whole of the country at a difficult time in its history, their coach Vicente Del Bosque said on Thursday.

The French Football Federation on Thursday elected to postpone a decision on the future of coach Laurent Blanc, the coach revealed following talks with FFF chairman Noel Le Graet.

Two Cesc Fabregas penalties, four years apart, tell the story of Spain's recent history in the European Championship.

Spain reached their third consecutive major tournament final after overcoming neighbours Portugal 4-2 on penalties in the first Euro 2012 semi-final in Donetsk.

There may have been nothing to choose between the two for 120 minutes but Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas insisted after his country's Euro 2012 semi-final penalty shootout win over Portugal that the triumph was written in the stars.

Spain star Andres Iniesta insisted ahead of his country's Euro 2012 semi-final penalties nerve-shredding win over Portugal that high-tempo, tiki-taka football, which did after all secure Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup triumphs, was not boring.

Spain reached their third consecutive major tournament final after overcoming neighbours Portugal 4-2 on penalties in the first Euro 2012 semi-final in Donetsk on Wednesday.

Andres Iniesta believes Spain are only accused of playing boring football because their opponents are too defensive, ahead of Wednesday's Euro 2012 semi-final against Portugal.