THE former international footballer Gianluca Vialli, working as a pundit for BBC TV, described Spain as “awesome” and nobody can really argue with that expert assessment, especially coming from an Italian.

Spain's success at Euro 2012 and their 4-0 thrashing of Italy in Sunday's final was the icing on the cake for a tournament which produced plenty of great football and few examples of ill-discipline either on or off the field. A great way to finally end the 2011-12 season.

OH dear! It was all going so well with the country and more importantly the national media behaving responsibly and not getting carried away with England's progress in Euro 2012.

But now that the Three Lions have won their group to clinch a quarter-final tie against Italy, everybody seems to think that this England team is better than it really is.

Only a dogged never-say-die attitude enabled Roy Hodgson's men to fight back and beat Sweden in their second Euro 2012 game. It certainly wasn't down to talent.

There are signs that the football world is beginning to wake up to the dangers of financial excess.

by Patrick O’Connor

THEY call it the close season – the time when the  league programmes have ended.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t much happening in the hurly-burly world of football, far from it.

Football Diary

by Patrick O’Connor

THE main football programme may be over in England but there is still plenty of going on, what with cup finals, promotion play-offs and, of course, the forthcoming World Cup.

It’s been a crazy few days if you are a Leicester City fan. They were promoted from League One at the end of the 2008-9 season and continued their fine form throughout last year, finishing in the Championship play-offs.