Arsenal are reported to have had an eleventh hour offer of £14million rejected by Liverpool for Spanish International Xabi Alonso.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had been heavily linked with a move for the EURO 2008 winner all summer, along with the man the Anfield club had identified as the Spaniards replacement at the Reds, Gareth Barry of Aston Villa. Click to continue reading...

Fenerbahce will not be going after Xabi Alonso. Former Spanish manager Luis Aragones was linked with a few members of the Euro winning side, but the Turkish club wants everyone to know that they aren't looking at Xabi. Click to continue reading...

Turkish club Fenerbahce have issued a statement on reports linking Spanish International Xabi Alonso with a move to the Sari Kanaryalar from Liverpool.

26-year-old Alonso had been linked with a move to Juventus all summer, but La Vecchia Signora's valuation of the EURO 2008 winner did not meet that of the Merseyside club. Click to continue reading...

Turkish giants Fenerbahce appear to have emerged as the favourites to sign Liverpool's Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso.

Fenerbahce have emerged as the front-runners to sign Liverpool's Spanish International Xabi Alonso, with Serie A Champions Inter Milan and Arsenal also being linked with the midfielder. Click to continue reading...

The second round of Champions League qualifying starts Tuesday. Twenty-eight sides will be in action tomorrow and Wednesday, with the reverse fixtures to follow next week. Teams debuting at this stage include Turkish side Fenerbache, led by new coach Luis Aragones, and Scottish double cup winners Glasgow Rangers. Click to continue reading...

Newly-appointed Fenerbahce coach Luis Aragones wasted no time in trying to lure one of the key members of Spain's Euro 2008-winning squad to Turkey. Sadly, the plan has not worked as the player declared his love for native Spain. Valencia midfielder Marcos Senna, who starred so brilliantly for Spain this summer, . Click to continue reading...

While I could write about the Samuel Eto'o transfer rumors (yawn) or the possibility of Luis Aragones replacing Unai Emery as head coach (whatever ...), I thought this was infinitely more interesting ...

According to Setanta Sports, Valencia's Mestalla is Europe's noisiest stadium.

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This Euro had England's pundits a twitter with the perceived lack of quality players in their national squad. Who could blame them? Spain, perennial underachievers, finally broke the hex leaving England in dire straits as the only big country with a big fat doughnut hole in recent accomplishments.

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Luis Aragones, uno de los entrenadores mas polémicos y sabios de la historia española. Solo los triunfos respaldan a las palabras y decisiones. Aragones por su forma de ser incluso es considerado por una revista rockera como 'Rockdelux' lo catalogo un símbolo Punk.

Pero la prensa que nos atañe en estos momentos es la Española, la misma que ahora se deshace en elogios a Luis Aragones, que se subió al carro de la victoria. Click to continue reading...

Turkey's European squad which stole victories from the jaws of defeat as though it were a leisurely Sunday stroll in the park was dominated by Galatasaray players. So their fierce city rivals Fenerbahce have decided to do one better, plucking at Spain's championship squad. Trophies > feel good stories, after all. Click to continue reading...

They have performed well in the last two tournaments that they've featured in but are Turkey on the verge of becoming the next great football league in Europe?

The Turks amazed many to reach the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea - going on to claim third place over South Korea in a play-off - and then went on to secure another semi-final spot in last month's Euro 2008 and have been enticing many big names to join their league in the process. Click to continue reading...

In the 78th minute of the EURO 2008 final it became quite clear to anyone still unsure that Spain were and are simply a better side than Germany. While Luis Aragones took off goalscorer and matchwinner Fernando Torres to replace him with the Primera Liga´s Pichichi Daniel Guiza, Joachim Loew responded with an attacking substitution of his own, replacing the anonymous Miroslav Klose with VfB Click to continue reading...

Hubo miles de promesas entre aficionados, del cuerpo técnico y de los jugadores españoles hasta Luis Aragones prometió hacer una marcha.

Pero sin duda la promesa que todos los anteriores quieren que se cumpla es la de esta modelo española, hasta tiene su blog y se llama Anita tiene un ratón. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will give the club's Spanish contingent an extended holiday after their efforts at EURO 2008.

Reds striker Fernando Torres was the hero for Spain on Sunday, his first-half strike against Germany leading La Furia Roja to their second European Championship crown. Click to continue reading...

If you're like me, you're a little sad today now that Euro 2008 has come and gone and we have to wait a full month and a half for any meaningful games to return. But fear not, Champions League qualifying is never far away, and the first and second round qualifiers will learn their fate in tomorrow's draw. Click to continue reading...

Spain claimed their first major title for 44 years after winning Euro 2008 with a deserved victory over Germany. Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was Spain's goal hero, striking after 33 minutes when he cleverly lifted Xavi's pass over Germany keeper Jens Lehmann.

Spain dominated the final throughout, with Torres heading against the post and Marcos Senna almost adding a second from close range after 80 minutes. Click to continue reading...

I'm not sure if 1974 is more fairly seen as a blip in the 1970s dominance of the Dutch or the year marking the rise of the Bundesliga and Bayern Munich. Both are probably fair to some degree. After three straight years as European champions and WCR Team of the Year, Ajax failed to win its domestic league and fell to CSKA Sofia in the second round of the Champions Cup. Click to continue reading...

Who says that Spain can't win a title?

Watching Spain throughout this competition, one couldn't sit back and not be amazed at how well they played. Even when challenged by Sweden (which in all honesty could have been a draw) and Italy (they tried to attack but when your opponent plays everyone behind the ball, breaking them down is next to impossible), they still found a way to win.

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Well done to Cesc Fabregas who was part of Spain's Euro 2008 winning side last night. Although he was rather oddly substituted by loopy manager Luis Aragones Spain were never really troubled by Germany and Fernando Torres' goal was enough to win it. Cesc said afterwards:

This the best day of my life as a football player.

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The newspapers in Spain are touting the new muscular and sleek Spanish team, unified in purpose. The future lies bright as Luis Aragones has molded a team that is young and resilient.

"Spain must decide whether it wants to be a bull or matador", proclaimed Cesar Luis Menotti.

This Spanish team has found ways to be both.

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Germany vs. Spain With only two teams left all the chips are on the table. Spain will be short David Villa who was injured in the last semi-final match against Russia, and it looks like the most probable lineup will include the lone striker of Fernando Torres when manager Luis Aragones fields a 4-1-4-1 formation later today. Click to continue reading...

By JAMES CLARKA very entertaining Euro 2008 wraps up today with a final pitting Joachim Loew's Germany against Luis Aragones' Spain. Two "traditional" soccer nations make for a heavyweight match-up (although, who could have denied the helter-skelter Turkey a place in the spotlight, had they advanced past the Germans? Click to continue reading...

EURO 2008 FINAL, VIENNA

The destination of the Henri Delaunay trophy could hinge on the fitness of Germany captain Michael Ballack, who has a calf strain and missed Saturday training.

Tournament hot-shot David Villa is of course also missing for Spain, but the absence of the Chelsea midfielder for Germany looks the more crucial. Click to continue reading...

"I like you Spaniard. I shall cheer for you." -Gladiator
Spain and Germany will close a highly-memorable tournament when they meet in the Euro 2008 Final in Vienna Sunday. Spain is seeking just their second major championship- they won the 1964 Euros on home soil. Since that time, Germany (and West Germany before them) have won three Euros and two World Cups. Click to continue reading...

It looks like Luis Aragones was once again using his own unique brand of motivation to propel Spain past Russia and into the final. Click to continue reading...