Oct. 23, Indonesia RED vs United RED at Gelora Bung Karno

Battle of RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous) is a grand event among famous football legend players England Premier League especially the big club from Manchester, England.

Legendary players are now unifies as United RED. They will travel to Indonesia for carry out a series of events which aims to celebrate the spirit of sport through friendly matches.

The series of events starts with Coaching Clinic, Gala Dinner, Signing Session and ends with Friendly Match is open to the public at Indonesia National Stadium Gelora Bung Karno on Oct. 23. This match will be the first time the United RED players competed in Indonesia as a team.

Battle of RED will be an opportunity for fans of football sports especially for England Premier League fans be able to meet directly with their idol and watch the Indonesian legend team compete against world football star with the appearance of quality football.

Come and join forces to provide support to your favorite team. Keep turn the RED light and keep the spirit of “Battle of the RED”

The Legends are Coming

Michael Owen, Paul Parker and Louis Saha

1. Michael Owen
2. Quinton Fortune
3. Louis Saha
4. Paul Parker
5. Ronnie Johnsen
6. David May
7. Lee Sharpe
8. Clayton Blackmore
9. Jesper Blomqvist
10. Keith Gillespie
11. Ben thornley
12. Lee Martin
13. Russell Beardsmore
14. Nick Culkin

And many more…

Indonesia RED Squad

Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto, Firman Utina and Bambang Pamungkas

1. Hendro Kartiko
2. Kurnia Sandi
3. Ismed Sofyan
4. Maman Abdurrahman
5. Isnan Ali
6. Charis Julianto
7. Bejo Sugiantoro
8. Erol FX Iba
9. Bima Sakti
10. Ponaryo Astaman
11. Firman Utina
12. M. Ridwan
13. Budi Sudarsono
14. Anang Ma’ruf
15. Bambang Pamungkas
16. Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto
17. Gendut Doni
18. Zaenal Arif

Tiket Available 

MAP Battle of RED

GBK MAP Battle of RED

Indonesia RED vs Manchester United Legends at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Oct. 23

Indonesia RED vs Manchester United Legends press conference at The Cone, FX Sudirman, Friday (6/9)

Jakarta, JG: A clutch of Manchester United former greats will fly into Jakarta on Oct. 23 for an exhibition match against a team of Indonesian players at the national stadium.

“Peter Schmeichel will be the team manager,” said R. Sasikumar, a managing director at Red Card, the agency that will organize the MU visit. “We are also still in talks with Paul Scholes. In total, we have 14 players but we will announce the full squad shortly.”

Former greats such as Dwight Yorke, Ronny Johnsen and Jesper Blomqvist will be on the teamsheet taking on Indonesia’s RED, which apparently stands for “Retired Extremely Dangerous,” in a friendly match the promoter is calling the “Battle of RED” at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

Local favorites such as Bambang Pamungkas will represent Indonesia in the match, which will begin at 7 p.m. and will be aired on MNCTV.

“We all know MU has a big fan base in Indonesia,” Sasikumar said. “You have 50 million fans here. It makes sense that they come to Indonesia. The team will visit Singapore and Macau as well.”

Event promoter Franky Paath of MC Pro Enterprise said that the players’ visit would bring back memories of their golden era.

“I also hope young Indonesian players get to experience their performance against the retired Indonesians,” he said.

Abdul Hakam Ikromi, a 24-year-old MU fan, said he was excited for the visit.

“We are enthusiastic about watching them live,” he said. “Though the current squad still can’t visit Indonesia, we are delighted to have the legends here in Jakarta. I hope the current team will visit soon… as big fans of MU, we are ready to convince them that it is safe to play in Indonesia.”

Tickets are available from Rp 50,000. Local brand JJ Royal Coffee has signed on as the primary sponsor and will give away 5,000 free tickets. JG

24-Mile Skydive a Boon for YouTube, Social Media

skydiver 10 15 12

Felix Baumgartner’s 24-mile (38.6-kilometer) skydive from the stratosphere was a boon for social networks as millions of users shared in the wonder of the moment from their computers, tablets and phones.

Here’s a look at how the world, through the Internet, watched the jump.

YouTube:

As Baumgartner ascended in the balloon, so did the number of viewers watching YouTube’s live stream of the event. Its popularity grew as the moment of the jump drew closer, as people kept sharing links with each other on Twitter and Facebook and websites embedded the stream.

Nearly 7.3 million viewers were watching as Baumgartner sat on the edge of the capsule, moments before the jump.

In the United States, the opportunity to watch the jump on TV was limited to the Discovery Channel, though more than 40 television networks in 50 total countries carried the live feed, organizers said. It was streamed by more than 130 digital outlets.

Facebook:

After Baumgartner landed, sponsor Red Bull posted a picture of the daredevil on his knees to Facebook. In less than 40 minutes, the picture was shared more than 29,000 times and generated nearly 216,000 likes and more than 10,000 comments. Immediately after the jump, Red Bull solicited questions for Baumgartner through Facebook and Twitter, promising to answer three at a post-jump news conference.

Twitter:

During the jump and the moments after Baumgartner safely landed, half the worldwide trending topics on Twitter had something to do with the jump — pushing past tweets about Justin Bieber and seven National Football League games being played at the same time. Celebrities of all kinds weighed in, including athletes, actors and high-profile corporate executives.

“It’s pretty amazing that I can watch, live on my computer, a man riding a balloon to the edge of space so he can jump out of it. #TheFuture,” tweeted Wil Wheaton, who acted in the iconic science-fiction series “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

“Felix Baumgartner is a boss,” tweeted Jozy Altidore, a soccer player for the US men’s national team.

Reddit:

Two threads related to the jump made the front page of Reddit. Users quickly upvoted a request for Baumgartner to participate in an “Ask Me Anything” on the site, where users pepper someone on the site with questions about anything they want. President Barack Obama held court as the subject of a similar thread in August.

Nearly 29,000 users weighed in on a separate thread about the jump itself, voting it up and down and robustly commenting.

Agence France-Presse

Schumacher To Retire At End Of F1 Season

Michael Schumacher

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher announced on Thursday that he will retire for the second time at the end of 2012.

"I have decided to retire at the end of the season," the German driver told a press conference in Suzuka.

"I still feel I am capable of competing against the best but the time sometimes comes to say goodbye and this time it might be forever."

He added: "During the past month I was not sure if I still had the motivation and energy which is necessary to go on. It is not my style to go on if I'm not 100 percent with it but with today's decision I feel relieved."

The 43-year-old's place at Mercedes will be taken by McLaren's Lewis Hamilton in 2013.

Schumacher won 91 races between 1991 and 2006 -- two world titles with Benetton in 1994 and 1995 and five with Ferrari who he joined in 1996 -- from 2000 to 2004.

The German retired for the first time in 2006 before returning to the sport in 2010 on a three-year contract with Mercedes. AFP

In Reversal, New Zealand Cancels Mike Tyson’s Visa

In a file picture taken on September 12, 2012, US boxer and former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson addresses a press conference in Hong Kong. The New Zealand government on October 2, 2012 blocked former heavyweight boxing champion and convicted rapist Mike Tyson from entering the country. (AFP Photo/Philippe Lopez)

Wellington, New Zealand. In a reversal, Mike Tyson has been denied entry to the country whose indigenous Maori people he says inspired his facial tattoo.

New Zealand authorities on Wednesday cancelled an entry visa for the former heavyweight boxing champion and convicted rapist, days after the prime minister spoke out against his planned visit.

The Las Vegas celebrity had earlier been granted an exemption to New Zealand immigration rules to speak at a November charitable event, “Day of the Champions.” Tyson’s 1992 rape conviction would have normally made him ineligible to enter the country.

Speaking to the APNZ news agency this week before his visa was cancelled, Tyson said his tattoo was inspired by New Zealand’s indigenous Maori culture. In pre-European times, many Maori wore elaborate facial tattoos as a sign of their status in their tribe. Some Maori today who identify strongly with their traditional culture get similar tattoos.

“Other than that I’ve never heard of Maori people, so I’m looking forward to come down there and see them,” he told the agency.

Associate Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson said in a statement Wednesday that the original decision to let Tyson enter was “a finely balanced call” and that the charity that would have benefited from his visit had now withdrawn its support.

Prime Minister John Key spoke out against the planned visit this week, questioning the decision by immigration authorities and saying he personally disapproved.

Before his visa was cancelled, Tyson told APNZ: “Fortunately, I am coming to New Zealand and there’s nothing they can do about it and I’m so sorry, I’m sorry they feel disappointed and I’m just living my life.”

Associated Press/JG

Pride and awe from Europe's Ryder Cup heroes

Peter Hanson, center, and Francesco Molinari of Europe celebrate their team winning the 39th Ryder Cup on Sunday, September 30, in Medinah, Illinois. Europe produced the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history to defeat the United States and retain the trophy.

Europe's triumphant Ryder Cup players reacted with pride and a sense of disbelief on Sunday after they had overhauled a 10-6 overnight deficit to defeat the United States 14 1/2 to 13 1/2.

The rampant Europeans made history by winning the closing 12 singles singles 8 1/2 to 3 1/2 as a star-studded US team, that included Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, collapsed to the dismay of 40,000 Chicago fans.

"I can't believe it, I really can't," said Graeme McDowell, who lost to Zach Johnson.

"We got beaten up by the Americans for the first few days. Then on this very green (18) yesterday we saw Ian Poulter drop a putt for the win. He turned things round.

"On Friday we were down and got the hairdryer treatment from Jose (Maria Olazabal). We had a sense of belief on Saturday. I don't know what it was. Great effort from the boys today.

"Jose wanted to win it for Seve (Ballesteros) and we wanted to win it for Jose and Seve. Jose has just been an emotional leader. He inspired and he got things right today.

"It will be beers and tears tonight. The Ryder Cup is coming back to Europe."

European hero Poulter, who birdied the last five holes in the final fourballs match on Saturday evening to keep Europe within four points of the Americans, also paid tribute to Olazabal, who had been under fire for some of his decisions.

"This was a team performance and you know, what the team has done today is unbelievable," said Poulter who won all four matches he played.

"There was a buzz in the team room last night that didn't feel like we had a four point deficit.

"For some reason, everyone was calm. Everyone was cracking jokes. We just felt we had that tiny little chance, and do you know what, the boys have proved today, and made history."

Spain's Sergio Garcia, who won the last two holes to overhaul Jim Furyk, said the memory of Ballesteros had been a crucial factor in inspiring the European win.

"I have no doubt in my mind that he was with me today all day, because there's no chance I would have won my match if he wasn't there," Garcia said.

"It was amazing, and it feels so good to be able to win it for him and for our captain, Jose, it's been amazing."

Justin Rose, who also won the last two holes of his match to stun US veteran Phil Mickelson, said: "We are in shock.

"We wanted to believe, we really did want to believe, but we had no illusions of how hard that day was going to be, four points against a team that's played so well all week."

England's Luke Donald, who spearheaded the European charge with a morale-boosting 2 and 1 win over

Bubba Watson said that all the European players knew they had an uphill battle in front of them.

"But we believed in our hearts we could do this. It was my job to lead us off, fortunately I played great today and the other guys just followed. What a summer for British sport," he said.

"It's one of the highlights of my career. It's been down to a lot of people, but Jose has been a calming influence. He wanted us to do this for himself and Seve and we got it done." AFP

Chris and Daud Set to Defend Boxing Titles

Chris John, left, and Daud Yordan will each have another title bout in Singapore on Nov. 9. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal)

Top Indonesian boxers Chris John and Daud Yordan will step into the ring in Singapore once again, this time to defend their respective titles on Nov. 9.

The fight organizer, Mahkota Promotion, confirmed the date and place on Tuesday but has yet to announce who each of them will fight against.

“We set the date after discussing with our main sponsor and the boxing associations. But we can’t publish the opponent’s names yet, as it still might change any time,” Wahju Prasetyo, Mahkota Promotion’s project manager, said on Tuesday. He added that the promoter was still in negotiations with sponsors about the venue of the fight.

For Chris, it will be his 17th title defense bout since taking the World Boxing Association’s featherweight crown in 2003.

His latest fight was when he defeated Japanese boxer Shoji Kimura by unanimous decision at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, on May 5, continuing his unbeaten record with 47 wins (22 KOs) and two draws.

Given his record, the 33-year-old was awarded the super champion title by the WBA. He was also honored as the WBA’s fighter of the decade at the association’s 19th awards dinner, in Panama in February.

Meanwhile, Daud will defend his International Boxing Organization’s featherweight title for the first time since claiming it by knocking out Lorenzo Villanueva in the second round, also on May 5 in Singapore.

Both Chris and Daud have been training the past three months. Chris has been training at Harry’s Gym in Perth, Australia, since July with coach Craig Christian.

Last month, Chris’s fight adviser Sampson Lewkowicz told ESPN that Chris’s next opponent will likely be Thailand’s Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo, who is also unbeaten in 44 fights with 27 KOs. But Wahju said that isn’t likely.

“There’s a long queue of boxers who want to fight Chris, especially because he has a great record. We’re still sorting out proper opponent for Chris,” he said.

Daud, who is now 29-2 with 23 knockouts, said that Mahkota Promotion only told him that a British boxer would be his next opponent.

“I don’t even know his name. I’ve never fought against a British boxer before but I’m ready to fight anyone,” the 24-year-old said on Tuesday.

Even though he does not yet to know his opponent, Daud said he has been in rigorous training in his hometown of Ketapang, West Kalimantan, since July.

“I’ve been training for five hours a day and also have sparring sessions with local boxers. I’m sure I will defend my title whoever I fight against,” he said. JG

Weightlifter Eko Yuli Irawan Gives Indonesia 1st Medal in London 2012 Olympics

Eko Yuli Irawan has delivered for his country in the Olympics once again.

The 23-year-old weightlifter secured Indonesia’s first medal at the London Games after finishing third in the men’s 62-kilogram division on Monday night.

North Korean lifter Kim Un-guk took the gold with a world record total lift of 327 kilograms. Eko’s total was 317 kg, the same as Oscar Figueroa, but the Indonesian had to settle for bronze because he was 13 grams heavier than the Colombian.

Eko was nevertheless proud of earning his second Olympic medal. His first, which was also bronze, came at the 2008 Games in Beijing in the men’s 56-kg division.

He became the country’s third athlete to medal in two consecutive Olympics after women’s singles shuttler Susi Susanti (1992 and 1996) and women’s weightlifter Raema Lisa Rumbewas (2000 and 2004).

“That was my best lift ever. Unfortunately, I had to settle for bronze,” said the Lampung native, who has yet to fully recover from a right shin injury sustained during a training session before London.

“Every Olympics has been tough for me,” he added. “In Beijing I was suffering from a hamstring injury just before the Games started and now this. That’s why I’m very grateful to have this chance to compete in the Olympic and win another medal.”

For his bronze, Eko will earn a Rp 250 million ($27,000) cash bonus from the government. “That will be a gift for my wife, who will deliver our baby in the next two months,” he said.

Eko, who now resides in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, said he hoped his medal would inspire other athletes.

“They have to set their sights high and work very hard,” he said. “Being just an athlete would just be a waste of time.”

Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng praised Eko’s achievement.

“He’s been showing great determination to win the medal despite the injury,” Andi said. “I believe more medals will be coming in London after this, hopefully gold.”

The country’s best hope for gold is still badminton. On Tuesday, men’s singles shuttler Taufik Hidayat beat Spain’s Pablo Abian 22-20, 21-11 to set up a tasty round of 16 match with China’s Lin Dan, who won gold in 2008. Taufik won gold at the Athens Games in 2004.

“I’m ready for him,” Taufik said of Lin. “It will be an exciting match.”

Lin has dominated Taufik of late, beating him in their last 11 matches.

However, this will be Taufik’s last Olympics, and his fans are hoping for a great send-off.

“Winning or losing happens every day in sports,” the 31-year-old Indonesian star said. “I’ll just try my best.”

Simon Santoso also qualified for the round of 16, locking up his spot with a 21-11, 21-7 win over Austria’s Michael Lahnsteiner. He will play against Malaysian ace Lee Chong Wei in the knockout rounds.

Antara, JG

Indonesia to Sue English Football Club Everton

Malaysian U-22 players training at Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday. (Antara Photo/Yudhi Mahatma)

Jakarta (AFP) - The organizers behind Indonesia’s Java Cup said Wednesday they will sue English football club Everton and Turkey’s Galatasaray after the teams withdrew from the tournament.

Everton said on Tuesday it was forced to abandon plans to play the pre-season tournament, stating “unresolved issues mean that the risk of travelling was too great”.

The withdrawal came one day after Galatasaray, forcing the inaugural Java Cup, which was scheduled for July 26--29, to be postponed indefinitely.

“[The] consequences of the cancellation for Everton is [they] pay back all the damages,” Patrick Mbyaya, a lawyer representing the tournament, told a press conference.

“We will also contact the England Football Association to give disciplinary [sanctions] to Everton. If they refuse to pay back, we’ll take this to the Court of Arbitration for Sports [in Switzerland],” he said.

The lawyer added the same applied to Galatasaray.

Widjajanto, chief executive of The Liga Prima Indonesia Sportindo (LPIS) which organized the event, said: “This withdrawals are very odd and we really regretted their decision... the investors clearly suffered a big loss of money.”

The organizer showed to reporters a letter dated July 25 from the English Premier League’s chairman David Richards as the first official notification that Everton would not attend the event.

The letter said: “Both Everton and the Barclays Premier League deeply regret that their involvement in the competition in Jakarta will not be possible.

“The club’s decision to stay here in the UK was not meant to show any disrespect to neither your country, the Indonesian Football Association nor any of the other stakeholders involved in the competition,” Richards said.

The tournament, which was to include an Indonesian XI and a Malaysian XI, had been scheduled to be held at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno stadium, scene of a deadly stampede in November and fatal clashes between fans in May.

The latest events provide further embarrassment for Indonesian football, which has long been mired in controversy and was threatened with suspension by world body FIFA following the launch of a rebel league.

Agence France-Presse

London 2012 Olympics kicks off with football

The first event of the Olympics is to kick off later, two days before the official opening ceremony.

The Team GB women's football side will get 18 days of sport under way at 16:00 BST when they take on New Zealand at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Designated Games Lanes - covering about 30 miles of roads and off limits to the public - come into operation in London. And government lawyers will be in court to try to block a public sector workers strike on the eve of the Games. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt will join Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan in Cardiff for the first event of the 2012 Games.

Team GB coach Hope Powell said opening the Games was a "great honour" and would hopefully give people "a greater appreciation of how good women's football actually is". And captain Casey Stoney said she hoped the fixture could "raise the profile of women's football". "It's a global thing, not just for our nation, and hopefully we can put on a good show - but we are just focused on getting the job done." Team GB drew 0-0 against Sweden in their final warm-up fixture at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium last Friday.

Relative unknowns Cameroon and heavily fancied Brazil will take each other on at the stadium after the GB game, and four other matches in the same competition are also taking place later in the day at Hampden Park in Glasgow and the City of Coventry Stadium.

The Olympic Route Network (ORN), made up of 175 miles of roads connecting up the main Olympic venues across the country, comes into force on Wednesday. It is designed to make it easier for athletes and officials to get around the Games and has seen junctions blocked off, bus stops moved and parking bays suspended.

As part of the ORN, the designated Games Lanes in London will be in operation between 06:00 and midnight and only open to VIPs, athletes and accredited media. Ordinary motorists going into the lanes face fines of £130. In the High Court, the government is to argue for an injunction to prevent public sector workers, including immigration and passport workers at Heathrow and other airports, taking strike action on Thursday. Thousands of spectators are expected to arrive at Heathrow Airport on that day.

The Home Office says it believes there was a "procedural error" in the ballot of members of the Public and Commercial Services union. But the PCS said it was "confident" the strike was legal and would happen.

The government insists contingency plans are in place in the event of industrial action. Meanwhile, the final dress rehearsal for the opening ceremony is due to take place at the Olympic Stadium. And the Olympic flame will visit Wembley Stadium as day 68 of the torch relay travels 30 miles through the London boroughs of Harrow, Brent, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey.

England's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks, Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, and decathlete gold medallist Daley Thompson will be among the torchbearers. BBC News

F1, Marussia Test Driver Maria De Villota fighting for her life after crash ahead of British GP

Maria De Villota

Spanish Formula One driver Maria De Villota was fighting for her life on Tuesday after suffering serious injuries during a crash in testing for the Marussia team.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said De Villota had sustained "life-threatening injuries" in the early morning crash at Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire.

Marussia confirmed in a statement that the 32-year-old test driver from Madrid had been transferred to hospital after her car collided with a support vehicle during a test lap.

"At approximately 9.15am (0815 GMT) this morning, the Marussia F1 Team's Test Driver Maria De Villota had an accident in the team's MR-01 race car at Duxford Airfield where she was testing the car for the first time," Marussia said.

"The accident happened at the end of her first installation run and involved an impact with the team's support truck.

"Maria has been transferred to hospital. Once her medical condition has been assessed a further statement will be issued."

BBC radio presenter Chris Mann, who witnessed the crash, said De Villota's car had ploughed into the truck after suddenly accelerating.

"She got into the car, fired it up and did a test run at probably about 200mph in the rain," Mann said.

"The car was slightly misfiring but there didn't seem to be any concerns.

"She came back into the area we were in with the engineers. She slowed down but then suddenly, inexplicably accelerated through the crowd and smashed into the side of the truck.

"The top of her car and her helmet seemed to take the brunt of it.

"She didn't move for about 15 minutes.

"Fire crews were there within seconds and the ambulance within minutes.

"After a while we thought we saw some movement of her hands but she appeared to be unconscious or unable to move for quite some time."

De Villota, the daughter of former Spanish Formula One driver Emilio De Villota, was given a test drive by Renault last year and has previously raced in Spanish Formula Three and the Daytona 24 Hours.

Women drivers remain a rarity in Formula One.

In April this year Williams signed German touring car driver Susie Wolff as the team's development driver.

The last woman to enter the F1 world championship was Italian Giovanna Amati, who failed to qualify for three races at the start of the 1992 season with Brabham.

Five women have entered F1 races in the past, the most prolific being Italian Lella Lombardi, who started 12 grands prix in the 1970s.

Marussia began racing in 2010 under the Virgin banner. The team rebranded as Marussia in 2012, with Charles Pic driving alongside Timo Glock.

The team has struggled to make any impression on the championship however, failing to score any points this season.

AFP

Bravo Spain : Spain Make History to Retain European Title

 

Spain on Sunday retained their European championship title in style, beating Italy 4-0 in the Ukrainian capital Kiev to become the first side to complete back-to-back wins in the competition’s 52-year history.

Manchester City’s David Silva opened the scoring in the 14th minute, heading home a pinpoint cross from Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas, after a fired-up Spain, earlier accused of playing a “boring” possession game, came out all guns blazing.

Jordi Alba made it two on 41 minutes after he ran onto a sublime through-ball from his new Barca team-mate Xavi Hernandez and slotted a left-foot shot past the advancing Gianluigi Buffon.

Fernando Torres — who scored in Spain’s 1-0 Euro 2008 final win against Germany four years ago — made it three with six minutes left while his Chelsea colleague Juan Mata made it four on 88 minutes.

“La Furia Roja” are now the only side to have won three consecutive major titles, with European wins either side of their World Cup victory in 2010.

Tens of thousands of people young and old thronged the streets of Rome and Madrid to watch the game on giant screens, with both historic capitals a sea of green, white and red Italian tricolors and red and yellow Spanish flags.

But it was Spanish fans who erupted at the final whistle in scenes of wild celebration that brought unbridled joy to a nation struggling with recession.

The final was the 31st match in three weeks of football involving 16 teams in Poland and Ukraine, which despite misgivings before the start of the tournament, has generally been considered to have gone well.

Before the competition started, there were fears about the readiness of the eight match venues and other infrastructure as well as high travel and accommodation prices for fans, particularly in Ukraine.

Racism was also a worry, amid claims that far-right gangs were rife in football grounds in both countries, while Ukraine also faced a boycott from European nations over the alleged mistreatment of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

Some racist chanting from foreign fans and violent clashes between Poland and Russia fans were seen and organizers courted controversy at the last by inviting the controversial Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko to the final.

But the worst fears have not materialized, allowing the focus to remain mostly on the pitch, with high-quality matches attracting record television viewing figures in Europe and around the world.

UEFA president Michel Platini told reporters he felt proud of both co-hosts, while Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said it had been an “honor” to stage the competition.

“It seems to me that we’ve succeeded,” he was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

“Even though the Polish and Ukrainian teams aren’t playing in the final, one thing’s clear: Poland and Ukraine have won Euro 2012,” added Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski.

Poland and Ukraine are hoping to reap the benefits from holding such a “mega-event”, particularly in tourist revenues, with Euro 2012 helping to shatter myths of the former communist east European nations being cold and inhospitable.

A recent survey of more than 1,000 foreign fans by independent pollsters PBS indicated that 73 percent said they would come back to Poland within three years, while 89 percent said they would recommend Warsaw to family and friends.

Some even compared Euro 2012 to the ground-breaking recognition of the Solidarity trade union led by Lech Walesa in 1980 that triggered a wave of anti-communist sentiment and ultimately played a part in the collapse of the eastern bloc.

The next competition will be held in four years’ time in France.

Agence France-Presse

F1 - Schumacher earns 1st podium since comeback

Michael Schumacher stepped onto a Formula One podium at the European Grand Prix on Sunday for the first time since coming out of retirement.

The 43-year-old German great took advantage of a collision between Lewis Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado on the penultimate lap to steer his Mercedes into a long coveted top-three finish in Valencia.

Schumacher said of his third-place finish that "it's these moments that you enjoy deeply. It's wonderful to be back after so much time.

"I didn't think about a podium, not even at the end of the race. At the end I asked the guys where we finished and the boys told me that's third. I can't believe that, I didn't expect it."

Schumacher had endured a wretched season, failing to finish five of the previous seven races and only collecting two points.

Mercedes Formula One driver Michael Schumacher, from Germany

The last time the seven-time champion had made it onto a podium was in 2006.

Schumacher returned to the sport he had dominated for more than a decade in 2010 after a three-year hiatus, but the former Ferrari driver had so far lacked his old brilliance.

"Finally it happened! After such a long time waiting and jumping on the podium so unexpectedly, I feel extra happy," he said. "I think that was the best answer to give to everybody who started doubting our work."

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso won the thrilling race that saw both pole sitter Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull and challenger Romain Grosjean's Lotus stall on the track. Schumacher said that to reach the podium in such dramatic style only added to his joy.

"It happened in a pretty spectacular way on a track where it is difficult to pass, but due to various strategies and differences on the track (I was able to) and that's obviously the best way," he said. "If you manage the way I did today to jump the podium it makes you extra happy."

Euro 2012 : Spain looks at options ahead of Portugal match

Coach Vicente del Bosque

Playing against defending champion Spain at Euro 2012 has got even harder. Portugal, at least, has had an extra 48 hours to try and figure out a way of countering Spain's different systems of play.

Spain has alternated between a traditional attack led by striker Fernando Torres and a six-man midfield fronted by playmaker Cesc Fabregas, with the latter picked to start Saturday's 2-0 quarterfinal victory over France.

Spain returns to the Donbass Arena to play its Iberian neighbors in Wednesday's European Championship semifinal, where the six-man midfield could well return. Coach Vicente del Bosque has tended to use the system against tougher opponents, deploying it against 2006 world champion Italy in a 1-1 draw in their Group C opener.

Spain beat Portugal 1-0 en route to its World Cup win two years ago, and the Portuguese will already have been seeking ways to disrupt Spain's game. Though lacking sparkle, Spain's tactics have effectively stifled its opponents and helped maintain the team's remarkable defensive record.

Since coming through the group stage of Euro 2008, Spain has not conceded a goal in the knockout rounds of a major tournament, a run of eight games.

For the Portuguese, having an extra two days to recover from their quarterfinals win over the Czech Republic on Thursday could be a real bonus.

"We were very tired by the end of the game and that's normal," Del Bosque said. "We need to recover well and this 48 hours extra they have is a little bit of a handicap (for us)."

Del Bosque said the change in weather had also fatigued his team, which will be training in the cooler climates of Gdansk in northern Poland before again returning to the heat and humidity of eastern Ukraine on Tuesday.

Physical trainer Javier Minano said Portugal's extra time off will give them "a bit of an advantage, but looking at the quarterfinal we had against France, we had an extra day of rest compared to them. So we can't use it as an excuse."

Spain's victory kept alive the possibility of a Spain-Germany final, something France coach Laurent Blanc sees as the most probable ending to the tournament. The Germans will face either Italy or England in Thursday's semifinal.

"To this point of the Euro there are two teams that have showed they are strongest, that they are the real favorites and that's Germany and Spain. That's not so surprising," Blanc said.

"Spain is very difficult to beat. You have to be so efficient against Spain, with so little of the ball. It's very difficult for all teams, but Germany is showing it can maybe do better."

Spain beat the Germans 1-0 in the World Cup semifinals, having also beaten them by the same scoreline in the final of Euro 2008, thanks to a goal from Torres. The Chelsea striker has failed to find his best form for the national team since then and, although he has scored two goals in the tournament, a third start seems unlikely.

With all opponents changing tactics for Spain, Portugal should be no different. But that doesn't worry the favorites.

"We know Portugal perfectly, it's going to be a tough game since it's one step from the final where we want to be," said Xabi Alonso, who plays with Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Fabio Coentrao at Real Madrid.

"Most of the times we know the opponents may try a few adjustments, so it's not news to us," Alonso said. "We just keep passing until we find the best option."