Germany's Mario Gomez has been ruled out of the rest of Euro 2016 with a thigh muscle injury while Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger are doubtful after being injured in Saturday's quarter-final win over Italy.
Germany coach Joachim Loew and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer praised the team's less experienced players for stepping up to convert in their dramatic penalty shootout against Italy, firing the world champions into the Euro 2016 final four.
Germany defeated old rivals Italy 6-5 in a penalty shootout at Euro 2016 with a winning spot kick from Jonas Hector after the game finished 1-1 following extra time on Saturday to reach the semi-finals. They will now face the winners of the other quarter-final between hosts France and Iceland, who play on Sunday.
Germany are determined to snap their tournament losing streak to Italy dating back almost half a century when the two meet in a Euro 2016 quarter-final on Saturday in Bordeaux, players said on Wednesday. The world champions have lost to Italy in every single tournament knockout match they have played against them, starting from a 1970 World Cup semi-final.
Germany forward Lukas Podolski has criticised the new 24-team format for the European Championship, labelling it 'stupid' as it created a great deal of confusion among the players.
Croatia striker Nikola Kalinic believes his country are now one of the favourites at Euro 2016 after beating Spain to win Group D.
French police on Tuesday broke up a fight between Polish fans in Marseille and detained two of them ahead of Poland's final Euro 2016 group stage match against Ukraine.
Spain winger Pedro is frustrated by the lack of opportunities he has been given so far in his country's opening two fixtures at the European Championship in France. The 28-year-old, who has been capped 58 times by Spain, came on after 82 minutes in the 1-0 win against Czech Republic in their Group D opener and was an unused substitute in the 3-0 victory over Turkey on Friday.
Disciplinary proceeding have been opened by UEFA against Hungary, Belgium and Portugal after there was further crowd trouble at three Euro 2016 games on Saturday, the governing body said in a statement.
Croatia fans who caused trouble during their team's Euro 2016 match against the Czech Republic on Friday were "sports terrorists" and had no place in football stadiums, the Balkan nation's coach told a news conference. The supporters threw flares on to the pitch and fought among themselves in one section of the Stade Geoffroy Guichard, forcing the Group D game to be interrupted for several minutes while officials and players appealed for calm. "We were exposed to the terror of hooligans who have no place in sports arenas and I sincerely hope they will be identified and brought to justice," said Cacic.
Belgium could make wholesale changes for Saturday's European Championship clash with Ireland as they seek to keep their tournament hopes alive, coach Marc Wilmots said. "Tomorrow there will be between two and 10 changes. Only the goalkeeper is certain," he told reporters, refusing to confirm a starting place for playmaker Kevin de Bruyne, who suffered a light injury in training on Thursday.
Spain go into Friday's Euro 2016 game against Turkey determined to be more efficient in front of goal and no fan is more eager for that to happen than Antonio Banderas. The 55-year-old Spanish actor and director, a fervent supporter of his home club Malaga and of the national team, posted a photograph on his Twitter feed on Friday of himself in the Spanish team kit and ready to volley a football.
For however much or little it counts, Belgium have history on their side in not having lost to the Irish for 50 years, which includes beating them by a single goal in the playoffs to win a place at the 1998 World Cup in France.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Austria, who were undefeated in 10 qualifying games, were beaten 2-0 by old rivals Hungary in the opening match of Euro 2016 Group F on Tuesday.
Wales boss Chris Coleman is considering deploy Gareth Bale as a striker against England on Thursday after he played a similar role in their European Championship opener against Slovakia.
England will need to stick to the tactics used in Saturday's European Championship draw against Russia when they face Wales on Thursday.
Coach Bernd Storck says Hungary want to prove their first European Championship appearance in 44 years is no fluke when the former powerhouses meet neighbours Austria in their Group F opener on Tuesday.
Austria coach Marcel Koller is determined to make sure his team do not get swept away on a tide of national euphoria on the eve of a rare appearance at a major tournament.
Wales must have cool heads and not get carried away by the emotion of Thursday's all-British Euro 2016 Group B clash with England in Lens, manager Chris Coleman said on Monday. Coleman's side top the group after victory over Slovakia on Saturday, their first tournament match since 1958. A further win over England would guarantee Wales a place in the last 16 and pile huge pressure on Roy Hodgson's side. "We have to be streetwise. We don't have to rattle cages, they know what the atmosphere will be like, they have to be ice cold in their thinking and stick to a game plan," Coleman told a news conference on Monday.
England manager Roy Hodgson and captain Wayne Rooney have appealed to fans to behave around Thursday's Group B game against Wales after European soccer chiefs threatened to throw the country out of Euro 2016 following three days of violence in Marseille. In a video posted on the Football Association's Twitter page, Hodgson and Rooney expressed their concern that further flashpoints could lead to an early end to their tournament. "As the England manager, I am obviously now very concerned about the threat that is hanging over us and the sanction that could possibly be imposed upon the England team," Hodgson said.
Austria's Hungarian-born defender Gyoergy Garics has decided to stay at Euro 2016 despite his father's death last week, saying his last words were to carry on. The 32-year old's father, Gyoergy Garics Sr, died from cancer at his home in Hungary last Friday. Garics said he would have wanted him to stay at the tournament as Austria prepare to take on his native Hungary in Group F on Tuesday.
Wales forward Gareth Bale got their Euro 2016 campaign off to a dream start with an early goal and substitute Hal Robson-Kanu struck a late winner as they beat Slovakia 2-1 in the Group B opener on Saturday.
Representing Wales at the European Championship is a welcome change from being on "holiday" during a major international tournament, Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has said. Wales will be making a first appearance at a major finals since the 1958 World Cup when Chris Coleman's side kick off their Euro 2016 Group B campaign against Slovakia on Saturday. Ramsey is keen for Wales to stamp their authority early on in the tournament with a positive result in their Bordeaux opener. "I'm excited... normally I'm on holiday now," the 25-year-old told reporters in France. "Our target is to get out of the group first and I think a win will probably get you through, maybe in third place.
Wales winger Gareth Bale has enough firepower to terrorise opponents in this month's European Championship in France, midfielder Joe Allen has said.
Karolina Pliskova lost her cool over a line call and bashed a hole into the umpire's chair with her racket after suffering a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 defeat by Maria Sakkari in the Italian Open second round on Wednesday.
Brazilian midfielder Fernando scored an extra-time penalty as Girondins Bordeaux beat St Etienne 1-0 to reach the League Cup semi-finals on Tuesday.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagged a hat trick as Paris St Germain geared up for their Champions League clash against Manchester City with a convincing 4-1 Ligue 1 home win over Nice on Saturday. Ibrahimovic scored twice in the first half and once in the second, while David Luiz added a third in the second half after Hatem Ben Arfa had pulled one back for the visitors early on. PSG, who were crowned champions last month, have 80 points and with six games left lead second-placed Monaco, who lost 2-1 at home to Girondins de Bordeaux on Friday, by 25 points. Nice, who had a chance to reduce the gap with Monaco to two points, lag in third place five points behind the principality side. They will be leap-frogged by Olympique Lyonnais (49) if they beat Lorient away on Sunday.
Paris St Germain's league record 36-game unbeaten streak came to an abrupt halt when they lost 2-1 at Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday.
Poland midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak has signed a five-year contract with Paris St Germain, the French champions said in a statement on Sunday.
Germany's younger generation can rightfully feel they are the ones to be trusted when the world champions line up for a Euro 2016 semi-final next week after they stood up to be counted in the country's first tournament victory over Italy on Saturday.
Title contenders Germany will come face to face with their ultimate tournament nightmare when they take on Italy in their Euro 2016 quarter-final in Bordeaux on Saturday.
Holders Spain were knocked out of Euro 2016 in a 2-0 defeat by Italy on Monday after goals by Giorgio Chiellini and Graziano Pelle set up a quarter-final with world champions Germany. Chiellini opened the scoring after 33 minutes while Pelle wrapped up the victory in stoppage time to end Spain's reign as European champions which covered the 2008 and 2012 tournaments.
Lilian Laslandes struck twice to help in-form Girodins Bordeaux beat Nantes 3-1 and reach the quarter-finals of the French League Cup.
Holders Spain lost for the first time in 15 matches at the European Championship finals on Tuesday when Croatia beat them 2-1 to win Group D at Euro 2016.
From sharp, flying tackles and tough possession-fights, bloodied noses to scissor kicks in attempt to finding those crucial goals and the ecstatic celebrations thereafter, Rediff.com gives you a quick rewind of all the excitement that has transpired over the last five days across France...
Holders Paris St Germain reached their third consecutive League Cup final when goals by Argentina's Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria gave the French champions a 2-0 victory over Toulouse.
India has been spearheading the campaign at international fora for automatic exchange of information with a view to check tax evasion.
Zinedine Zidane is the right man for the job of Real Madrid coach, former team-mate David Beckham said on Monday after the Spanish club sacked Rafa Benitez and replaced him with the French World Cup winner. "Does it get any better than this??," the former England captain, who played with Zidane at Real after joining from Manchester United in 2003, declared on Instagram.
Czech midfielder Vladimir Smicer has joined Girondins Bordeaux as a free agent on a two-year deal