Stylish Spain ended a 44-year wait for international glory with deserved success.
HOSTS: Austria & Switzerland, WINNERS: Spain
Fernando Torres' solitary strike in Vienna on 29th June defeated Germany in the final of Euro 2008 and ensured a gloriously stylish Spain side won their first international trophy in 44 years.
It was a richly-deserved achievement, as Luis Aragones' squad produced a brand of beautiful and successful football that has gone on to dominate world football and will see them remembered as one of the greatest teams in history.
Spain progressed from Group D with ease after a 4-1 win over Russia and respective 2-1 successes against Sweden and defending champions Greece, whose crown slipped in miserable fashion following a bottom-placed finish.
The quarter-finals were less straightforward for Spain, as they required the heroics of captain Iker Casillas in a penalty shoot-out to defeat Italy, before a 3-0 semi-final victory in their second meeting of the tournament with Russia.
Germany were the defeated finalists, but Joachim Low's players had emerged as a genuine force to be reckoned with throughout the tournament after finishing second to Croatia in Group B prior to knocking out Portugal in the quarter-finals and eliminating Turkey in a thrilling semi-final.
Russia, who along with Croatia qualified for the finals ahead of England, had been the surprise package of the competition and, having progressed behind Spain from Group D, Guus Hiddink's side shot to prominence with their brand of ruthless counter-attacking.
In a similar style to Wayne Rooney for England at this summer's tournament, Andrei Arshavin missed Russia's first two matches through suspension, but he went on to emerge as a star and was especially impressive as Holland were stunned in the quarter-finals.
Holland had swaggered into the knockout stages after finishing top of Group C - the Group of Death - which included runners-up Italy, who were at the time world champions, and France, who finished bottom.
Marco van Basten's Dutch appeared winners-elect for the competition courtesy of a brand of football to compare to their nation's famous Total Football, unlike the brutish style they were to later use under Bert van Marwijk en route to the 2010 World Cup final. But they lost 3-1 after extra time to Russia in the quarter-finals.
Turkey were somewhat surprise semi-finalists, but they produced arguably the most drama of Euro 2008 when taking Croatia to penalties in the quarter-finals. Ivan Klasnic's 119th minute header was cancelled out by Semih Senturk's equaliser in time added on before the shoot-out.
