By David Thomas
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A record 20 million TV viewers will watch England take on Italy tomorrow.
As belief in Roy Hodgson’s Three Lions has soared, die-hard fans have been left scrambling for tickets for the quarter-final in Kiev.
So, with excitement mounting, forget about the offside laws and England’s 4-4-2 formation.
Here, DAVID THOMAS gives the low-down on the really important facts about tomorrow’s game . . .
Wayne Rooney and John Terry are two of the highest earning players at Euro2012
THE MONEY
The top 11 players’ weekly wages:
1. Wayne Rooney (Man United) 250,000
2. Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) 180,000
3. John Terry (Chelsea) 150,000
4. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) 130,000
5= Mario Balotelli (Man City) and Ashley Cole (Chelsea) 120,000
7. Daniele De Rossi (Roma) 105,000
8. Ashley Young (Man United) 100,000
9. Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), 93,000
10=. Joe Hart (Man City) and Joleon Lescott (Man City) 90,000
THE HAIR
Rooney celebrates his goal against Ukraine with a hairspray gesture
Despite having spent 30,000 on a hair transplant that hasn’t really worked, Wayne Rooney has
resorted to using a 2.65 gel spray. For thick, glossy locks are vital for any footballer who — as they all arrogantly do - believes in the l’Oreal slogan that they are ‘worth it’.
Striker Andy Carroll has the longest and most swingable mane - although it makes him look like a German porn star from the Seventies. It was Carroll who gave Rooney the bottle of Wella Shockwaves Ultra Strong Rock & Hold Gel Styler.
The effeminate hair product was criticised by ITV pundit and Liverpool player Jamie Carragher who said: ‘Any lad born in Liverpool, in Croxteth, should not be wearing any product.’
Another England player who has spent too long worrying about his barnet is Cheryl Cole’s ex-husband and serial dater of lap-dancers Ashley Cole, who has a disturbingly Taxi Driver-like Mohawk.
For the Italians, the craziest cut is Mario Balotelli’s bottle-blonde Mohican (right), while Andrea Pirlo’s swept-back locks are said to be a legacy of his gypsy heritage.
THE WAGS
The WAG-mania of past tournaments is no more, but several wives and girlfriends have turned up: Coleen Rooney, Toni Terry and Theo Walcott’s admirably understated sweetheart Melanie Slade, for example.
So, too, has elegant yummy-mummy (of three) Carly Parker, the wife of Scott Parker, and Laura (Mrs Glen) Johnson.
Then there’s blond goalie Joe Hart’s long-term fellow blonde Kimberly Crew and Andy Carroll’s other half, model Stacey Miller (recently named as the face of scouseworld.com). Bless!
The Italians’ stand-out bambina is Alena Seredova, 34, the former Miss Czech Republic and wife of goalkeeper-captain Gianluigi Buffon.
THE TATTOOS
Foul tackles ahead: Daniele de Rossi's bizarre tattoo
There will be more hideous body art on show than slipped past the dress police in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot.
Wayne Rooney’s torso bears a Cross of St George, a Celtic cross dedicated to Coleen, a guardian angel for son Kai and the words ‘Just enough education to perform’ (the rather apt title of an album by the Stereophonics).
Theo Walcott has a knight and dragon on his left shoulder. Joleon Lescott’s body is covered with tributes to his loved ones and incomprehensible nuggets of philosophy such as: ‘Don’t listen to anyone who says they know me because to have known me would mean there is a new me.’
As for the Italians, it has been rumoured they have special new tattoos for Euro 2012.
Daniele De Rossi has a road-sign on his leg that could suggest: ‘Foul tackles ahead’. Antonio Cassano is covered in Chinese and Japanese script, Mayan symbols and wings on his back.
THE BLING AND THE BAGS
England’s style leader is Ashley Cole who’s rarely seen without a Liz Taylor-size diamond in his ear.
Ashley Young is another earring-lover. But for others in the squad, the most fashion-forward jewellery consists of black and silver friendship bracelets from Links of London and beaded gold, silver and crystal bracelets from Parisian label Trsor.
The key item, apart from BlackBerry phones (one for the wife, another for the agent, another for the . . .), is the footballer’s ubiquitous man-bag. (Manager Roy Hodgson favours one by Louis Vuitton).
Then there are the oversized headphones. Last year’s big brand was Dr Dre, but this year’s must-have are the wireless Sync from the SMS Audio 50 Cent range.
England skipper Steven Gerrard always plays Sex On Fire by Kings of Leon in the changing room before a big game.
One final fashion note: Joleon Lescott has just launched his own Lescott Stewart range of ber-hip, arty T-shirts.
THE LOOSE CANNON
Italian bad-boy striker Mario Balotelli makes Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne look like a choirboy
Italian bad-boy striker Mario Balotelli, represents everything wrong with modern football.
He behaviour makes Paul ‘Gazza’ Gascoigne look like a choirboy.
He is best known for his gross sexual excess, (lap-dancers, kiss-and-tells, reportedly cheating on his girlfriend Raffaella Fico with a hooker who had a fling with Wayne Rooney).
His life in England, playing for Manchester City, has been a series of car crashes — both real and metaphorical.
Once his 120,000 Bentley GT was in collision with a Vauxhall Corsa.
Asked afterwards by police why he was carrying 5,000 in cash, he replied: ‘Because I’m rich!’ He recently bought a pair of chow chow puppies.
THE BUNGA BUNGS
Not for the first time, the Italian team — like disgraced former president Silvio Berlusconi — is dogged by corruption allegations.
Their domestic league is at the centre of serious claims of match-fixing and 18 players have been banned from the game for up to five years.
GAME OF LIFE... AND DEATH
A Chinese fan has died after going 11 nights without sleep as he tried to watch every game of Euro 2012.
The 26-year-old reportedly stayed up each night with friends and went to work the next day.
After the Ireland v Italy match Jiang Xiaoshan, said to be supporting England and France, went home at 5am on Tuesday, had a shower, fell asleep and never woke up.
Jiang, who had lived a ‘relatively healthy life’, played football for his university a couple of years before. Sources said that alcohol and tobacco, combined with exhaustion, weakened his immune system.
Britain to be spared EU bank tax: European leaders push ahead with plans but drop demands for all nations to be included - Daily Mail
By Tim Shipman
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Britain will be spared a swingeing new tax on City transactions as European leaders confirmed they will press ahead with plans for a single currency superstate.
Eurozone leaders vowed to plough on with the Robin Hood tax plans alone yesterday as they declared that a Brussels summit next week will be a ‘defining moment’ in EU history.
Nine countries yesterday vowed to impose new taxes on financial deals – which Britain thinks will cripple economic growth – but demands for all 27 EU nations to be included were dropped.
Superstate: From left, Spanish Premier Mariano Rajoy, French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Premier Mario Monti all agreed on making a stronger union
Roundtable: Germany, France, Italy and Spain drew up plans for eurozone countries to invest 100billion to boost growth
In a sign that next week’s summit will usher in new measures to set up a eurozone superstate, Germany, France, Italy and Spain all agreed it will lead to a ‘clear medium and long-term vision for greater integration’.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the meeting in Rome: ‘The lesson from the crisis is not less Europe but more Europe.’ Spanish PM Mariana Rajoy said the leaders had agreed on the need for ‘a political, banking and fiscal union’.
Italian prime minister Mario Monti warned that leaders may have just one week to save the euro with Spanish banks teetering on the brink of collapse.
Chancellor George Osborne attended a separate summit to discuss the the financial transactions tax
He declared that a rescue package was ‘absolutely necessary’ and pledged that concrete measures would be forthcoming next week. ‘We expect the conclusions of the EU summit to be more solid and credible compared with previous summits as far as growth is concerned,’ Mr Monti said.
The Italian premier said that meeting should ‘put at ease the financial markets expectations’, before delivering a pointed message in English: ‘The euro is here to stay and we all mean it.’
Yesterday Germany, France, Italy and Spain drew up plans for eurozone countries to invest 100billion – 1 per cent of their GDP in infrastructure projects to boost growth. But it quickly emerged that the pledge was not backed up by new hard cash.
George Osborne attended a separate summit of EU finance ministers in Luxembourg where nine countries agreed to press ahead with the financial transactions tax.
A Treasury spokesman said: ‘A lot of eurozone countries want to go on their own. That’s up to them but we think it would be damaging.’
Mrs Merkel said: ‘We can imagine introducing a financial transaction tax in our countries’, while French president Francois Hollande confirmed he wanted to introduce the tax ‘as quickly as possible’.
Mrs Merkel continued to resist calls for the eurozone bailout fund to invest money directly in Spanish banks, which many think would resolve the immediate threat.
Asked why Germany would not act to help, she said: ‘There can be no responsibility without control’ – a signal that Mrs Merkel wants effective control of European banks before agreeing to help them.
But the four leaders worked in secret on plans aimed to stop the spread of financial contagion while satisfying German demands that spendthrift countries are made to be more responsible before they get help.
Fiscal union: George Osborne greets Danish Economy Minister Margrethe Vestager during the European Union finance ministers meeting in Luxembourg
Seeing the funny side: Margrethe Vestager and George Osborne share a joke at the meeting
Jimmy Carr's father accuses comic of failing to pay back the money he lent him - Daily Telegraph
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Jim Carr, who has not spoken to his son for eight years following a bitter family dispute, claims he lent his son hundreds of pounds, paid all his bills and allowed him to live at home rent free, while he was trying to make his way as a stand-up on Britain ...
I just don't get how someone can be paid over £100, 000 per week for merely kicking a ball around. Most people don't earn that amount in a year.
- Anne, Wirral, 23/6/2012 10:29
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