Iniesta wins Euro 2012 player award

However, his one assist was a crucial one as it set up Jesus Navas for the only goal in the final group game against Croatia while his pass to Cesc Fabregas led to the first goal in the final — Fabregas’s cross being headed home by David Silva.
Iniesta, who prior to the final was battling out the player of the tournament award with Andrea Pirlo, succeeds compatriot and Barcelona team-mate Xavi, who won the award at the 2008 edition.

Iniesta, who was also their goalscoring hero in the 1-0 win over the Dutch in the 2010 World Cup final, was one of 10 Spaniards to figure in the 23-man squad of the tournament.

Spain’s victory saw them become the first national side to win an unprecedented three successive major titles having also won Euro 2008.
Meanwhile, Spanish striker Fernando Torres won the Golden Boot award for top scorer at Euro 2012 edging out Germany’s Mario Gomez Uefa announced yesterday.
The 28-year-old — whose goal in the 4-0 win over Italy in the final made him the only player to score in two Euro finals — like Gomez scored three goals and provided one assist during the tournament.

However, Uefa gave it to him on the tiebreak of having had less game time during the finals, the Spaniard having had 189 minutes on the pitch compared to Gomez’s 280.

Four other players also ended up with three goals, Italian striker Mario Balotelli, Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo, rising Russian star Alan Dzagoev and one of the revelations of the tournament, Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic. For Torres it sees him complete an incredible latter part of the 2011/12 season where he also collected FA Cup and Champions League winners medals with Chelsea having been all but written off for the majority of the campaign as he failed to fire for the English club.
Squad of the Euro 2012 championship

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (ITA), Iker Casillas (ESP), Manuel Neuer (GER)
Defenders: Gerard Pique (ESP), Fabio Coentrao (POR), Philipp Lahm (GER), Pepe (POR), Sergio Ramos (ESP), Jordi Alba (ESP)
Midfielders: Daniele De Rossi (ITA), Steven Gerrard (ENG), Xavi (ESP), Andres Iniesta (ESP), Sami Khedira (GER), Sergio Busquets (ESP), Mesut Ozil (GER), Andrea Pirlo (ITA), Xabi Alonso (ESP)
Forwards: Mario Balotelli (ITA), Cesc Fabregas (ESP), Cristiano Ronaldo (POR), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (SWE), David Silva (ESP) — AFP.