UEFA Euro 2012 Group C

Group C of UEFA Euro 2012 began on 10 June 2012 and ended on 18 June 2012. The pool consisted of Spain, Italy, Republic of Ireland and Croatia. The group was jokingly dubbed the "group of debt" by multiple media outlets, in reference to the European sovereign debt crisis facing some of its members.[1][2] Spain and Italy progressed to the quarter-finals, while Croatia and Republic of Ireland were eliminated from the tournament. Republic of Ireland equalled the worst performance by a team in the group stage of the European Championships, finishing with no points and a goal difference of −8.[3] Both Spain and Italy made it through the quarter-finals and semi-finals to reach the final for a second meeting in the tournament.

In their final match, the Republic of Ireland wore black armbands to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the Loughinisland massacre. This was criticised by some unionists and members of the UVF.[4] However, the victims' families fully supported the gesture.[4]

Teams
Draw position Team Pot Method of
qualification		 Date of
qualification		 Finals
appearance		 Last
appearance		 Previous best
performance		 UEFA Rankings
November 2011[nb 1]		 FIFA Rankings
June 2012
C1 Spain1Group I winner6 September 20119th2008Winners (1964, 2008)11
C2 Italy2Group C winner6 September 20118th2008Winners (1968)412
C3 Republic of Ireland4Play-off winner15 November 20112nd1988Group stage (1988)1418
C4 Croatia3Play-off winner15 November 20114th2008Quarter-finals (1996, 2008)78

Notes

  1. The UEFA rankings of November 2011 were used for seeding for the final draw.

Standings
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Spain 3 2 1 0 6 1 +5 7 Advance to knockout phase
2  Italy 3 1 2 0 4 2 +2 5
3  Croatia 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1 4
4  Republic of Ireland 3 0 0 3 1 9 −8 0
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

In the quarter-finals,

  • The winner of Group C, Spain, advanced to play the runner-up of Group D, France.
  • The runner-up of Group C, Italy, advanced to play the winner of Group D, England.

Matches
All times Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)

Spain vs Italy
See also: Italy–Spain football rivalry
Spain 1–1 Italy
 Report
Attendance: 38,869[5]
Spain[6]
Italy[6]
GK1Iker Casillas (c)
RB17Álvaro Arbeloa 84'
CB3Gerard Piqué
CB15Sergio Ramos
LB18Jordi Alba 66'
RM8Xavi
CM16Sergio Busquets
LM14Xabi Alonso
RF21David Silva 64'
CF10Cesc Fàbregas 74'
LF6Andrés Iniesta
Substitutions:
MF22Jesús Navas 64'
FW9Fernando Torres 84' 74'
Manager:
Vicente del Bosque
GK1Gianluigi Buffon (c)
CB3Giorgio Chiellini 79'
CB16Daniele De Rossi
CB19Leonardo Bonucci 66'
RM13Emanuele Giaccherini
CM8Claudio Marchisio
CM21Andrea Pirlo
CM5Thiago Motta 90'
LM2Christian Maggio 89'
CF10Antonio Cassano 65'
CF9Mario Balotelli 37' 56'
Substitutions:
FW11Antonio Di Natale 56'
FW20Sebastian Giovinco 65'
MF23Antonio Nocerino 90'
Manager:
Cesare Prandelli

Man of the Match:
Andrés Iniesta (Spain)[5]

Assistant referees:
Gábor Erős (Hungary)
György Ring (Hungary)
Fourth official:
William Collum (Scotland)
Additional assistant referees:
István Vad (Hungary)
Tamás Bognár (Hungary)

Republic of Ireland vs Croatia
Republic of Ireland 1–3 Croatia
 Report
Attendance: 39,550[7]
Republic of Ireland[8]
Croatia[8]
GK1Shay Given
RB4John O'Shea
CB2Sean St Ledger
CB5Richard Dunne
LB3Stephen Ward
CM6Glenn Whelan
CM8Keith Andrews 45+1'
RW7Aiden McGeady 54'
LW11Damien Duff
CF9Kevin Doyle 53'
CF10Robbie Keane (c) 75'
Substitutions:
FW14Jonathan Walters 53'
FW20Simon Cox 54'
FW19Shane Long 75'
Manager:
Giovanni Trapattoni
GK1Stipe Pletikosa
RB11Darijo Srna (c)
CB5Vedran Ćorluka
CB13Gordon Schildenfeld
LB2Ivan Strinić
DM8Ognjen Vukojević
RW7Ivan Rakitić 90+2'
AM10Luka Modrić 53'
LW20Ivan Perišić 89'
CF17Mario Mandžukić
CF9Nikica Jelavić 72'
Substitutions:
MF19Niko Kranjčar 84' 72'
FW22Eduardo 89'
MF16Tomislav Dujmović 90+2'
Manager:
Slaven Bilić

Man of the Match:
Mario Mandžukić (Croatia)[7]

Assistant referees:
Sander van Roekel (Netherlands)
Erwin Zeinstra (Netherlands)
Fourth official:
Viktor Shvetsov (Ukraine)
Additional assistant referees:
Pol van Boekel (Netherlands)
Richard Liesveld (Netherlands)

Italy vs Croatia
Italy 1–1 Croatia
 Report
Attendance: 37,096[9]
Referee: Howard Webb (England)
Italy[10]
Croatia[10]
GK1Gianluigi Buffon (c)
RB19Leonardo Bonucci
CB16Daniele De Rossi
LB3Giorgio Chiellini
DM21Andrea Pirlo
CM8Claudio Marchisio
CM5Thiago Motta 56' 62'
RW2Christian Maggio
LW13Emanuele Giaccherini
CF9Mario Balotelli 69'
CF10Antonio Cassano 83'
Substitutions:
MF18Riccardo Montolivo 80' 62'
FW11Antonio Di Natale 69'
FW20Sebastian Giovinco 83'
Manager:
Cesare Prandelli
GK1Stipe Pletikosa
RB11Darijo Srna (c)
CB5Vedran Ćorluka
CB13Gordon Schildenfeld 86'
LB2Ivan Strinić
CM8Ognjen Vukojević
CM10Luka Modrić
RW7Ivan Rakitić
LW20Ivan Perišić 68'
CF9Nikica Jelavić 83'
CF17Mario Mandžukić 90+4'
Substitutions:
MF6Danijel Pranjić 68'
FW22Eduardo 83'
MF19Niko Kranjčar 90+4'
Manager:
Slaven Bilić

Man of the Match:
Andrea Pirlo (Italy)[9]

Assistant referees:
Michael Mullarkey (England)
Peter Kirkup (England)
Fourth official:
Pavel Královec (Czech Republic)
Additional assistant referees:
Martin Atkinson (England)
Mark Clattenburg (England)

Spain vs Republic of Ireland
Spain 4–0 Republic of Ireland
 Report
Attendance: 39,150[11]
Spain[12]
Republic of Ireland[12]
GK1Iker Casillas (c)
RB17Álvaro Arbeloa
CB3Gerard Piqué
CB15Sergio Ramos
LB18Jordi Alba
RM8Xavi
CM16Sergio Busquets
LM14Xabi Alonso 54' 65'
RF21David Silva
CF9Fernando Torres 74'
LF6Andrés Iniesta 80'
Substitutions:
DF4Javi Martínez 76' 65'
MF10Cesc Fàbregas 74'
MF20Santi Cazorla 80'
Manager:
Vicente del Bosque
GK1Shay Given
RB4John O'Shea
CB2Sean St Ledger 84'
CB5Richard Dunne
LB3Stephen Ward
RM11Damien Duff 76'
CM8Keith Andrews
CM6Glenn Whelan 45+1' 80'
LM7Aiden McGeady
CF20Simon Cox 46'
CF10Robbie Keane (c) 36'
Substitutions:
FW14Jonathan Walters 46'
MF22James McClean 76'
MF21Paul Green 80'
Manager:
Giovanni Trapattoni

Man of the Match:
Fernando Torres (Spain)[11]

Assistant referees:
Bertino Miranda (Portugal)
Ricardo Santos (Portugal)
Fourth official:
Marcin Borski (Poland)
Additional assistant referees:
Jorge Sousa (Portugal)
Duarte Gomes (Portugal)

Croatia vs Spain
Croatia 0–1 Spain
Report
Attendance: 39,076[13]
Croatia[14]
Spain[14]
GK1Stipe Pletikosa
RB21Domagoj Vida 66'
CB5Vedran Ćorluka 27'
CB13Gordon Schildenfeld
LB2Ivan Strinić 53'
CM8Ognjen Vukojević 81'
CM7Ivan Rakitić 90+3'
RW11Darijo Srna (c) 44'
AM10Luka Modrić
LW6Danijel Pranjić 66'
CF17Mario Mandžukić 90'
Substitutions:
MF20Ivan Perišić 66'
FW9Nikica Jelavić 90+1' 66'
FW22Eduardo 81'
Manager:
Slaven Bilić
GK1Iker Casillas (c)
RB17Álvaro Arbeloa
CB3Gerard Piqué
CB15Sergio Ramos
LB18Jordi Alba
RM8Xavi 89'
CM16Sergio Busquets
LM14Xabi Alonso
RF21David Silva 73'
CF9Fernando Torres 61'
LF6Andrés Iniesta
Substitutions:
MF22Jesús Navas 61'
MF10Cesc Fàbregas 73'
FW11Álvaro Negredo 89'
Manager:
Vicente del Bosque

Man of the Match:
Andrés Iniesta (Spain)[13]

Assistant referees:
Jan-Hendrik Salver (Germany)
Mike Pickel (Germany)
Fourth official:
Richard Liesveld (Netherlands)
Additional assistant referees:
Florian Meyer (Germany)
Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Italy vs Republic of Ireland
Italy 2–0 Republic of Ireland
 Report
Attendance: 38,794[15]
Italy[16]
Republic of Ireland[16]
GK1Gianluigi Buffon (c) 73'
RB7Ignazio Abate
CB15Andrea Barzagli
CB3Giorgio Chiellini 57'
LB6Federico Balzaretti 28'
DM21Andrea Pirlo
RM8Claudio Marchisio
CM5Thiago Motta
LM16Daniele De Rossi 71'
CF11Antonio Di Natale 74'
CF10Antonio Cassano 63'
Substitutions:
DF19Leonardo Bonucci 57'
MF22Alessandro Diamanti 63'
FW9Mario Balotelli 74'
Manager:
Cesare Prandelli
GK1Shay Given
RB4John O'Shea 39'
CB5Richard Dunne
CB2Sean St Ledger 84'
LB3Stephen Ward
RM7Aiden McGeady 65'
CM6Glenn Whelan
CM8Keith Andrews 37'  89'
LM11Damien Duff (c)
CF10Robbie Keane 86'
CF9Kevin Doyle 76'
Substitutions:
FW19Shane Long 65'
FW14Jonathan Walters 76'
FW20Simon Cox 86'
Manager:
Giovanni Trapattoni

Man of the Match:
Antonio Cassano (Italy)[15]

Assistant referees:
Bahattin Duran (Turkey)
Tarık Ongun (Turkey)
Fourth official:
Viktor Shvetsov (Ukraine)
Additional assistant referees:
Hüseyin Göçek (Turkey)
Bülent Yıldırım (Turkey)

References
  1. Raffone, Mike. "Euro 2012: Group C's Italy, Spain and Croatia Provide Spark". Bleacher Report.
  2. "A welcome distraction: Euro 2012 a timely respite for depressed & debt-ridden Spain". Goal.com.
  3. Fitzmaurice, Aidan (12 June 2020). "Tired limbs, bored players and a hotel next to a lap-dancing club: Ireland's Euro 2012 campaign was doomed from the start". Irish Independent. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  4. "Ireland's Euro 2012 armband match tribute to UVF massacre victims slammed". Belfast Telegraph. Brian Rowan. 14 June 2012 Retrieved 19 June 2012
  5. "Full-time report Spain-Italy" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  6. "Tactical Line-up – Group C – Spain-Italy" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  7. "Full-time report Republic of Ireland-Croatia" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  8. "Tactical Line-up – Group C – Republic of Ireland-Croatia" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  9. "Full-time report Italy-Croatia" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  10. "Tactical Line-up – Group C – Italy-Croatia" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  11. "Full-time report Spain-Republic of Ireland" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  12. "Tactical Line-up – Group C – Spain-Republic of Ireland" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  13. "Full-time report Croatia-Spain" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  14. "Tactical Line-up – Group C – Croatia-Spain" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  15. "Full-time report Italy-Republic of Ireland" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  16. "Tactical Line-up – Group C – Italy-Republic of Ireland" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
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