Cesc Fabregas hails the success of 'beautiful football'

SPAIN midfielder Cesc Fabregas insisted his country's 1-0 victory over Germany in last night's Euro 2008 final was a triumph for "beautiful football".
Fernando Torres's deftly-taken first-half goal proved the difference in Vienna as the Spaniards claimed their first major title for 44 years.

"It was a long time since we have seen a team of that quality trying to play beautiful football – I don't think we've seen many teams have success (playing that way)," said the Arsenal star. "Finally, football has the success it deserves."

And Fabregas warned Spain will be just as strong when it comes to the World Cup in South Africa in two years.

"You can see how young we are – so hopefully in two years' time we will fight for the World Cup."

Match-winner Torres had never won a trophy with either Atletico Madrid, Liverpool or Spain before last night.

"I feel a tremendous joy," said the Liverpool striker. "It still hasn't sunk in what we've achieved.

"This is my first title and I hope it's the first of many. We are used to watching finals on television, but today we were here and we won.

"The team that has played the best football in the tournament has won the title and now we have a place in European football history."

Michael Ballack ended on the losing side in a final again, but Germany coach Joachim Low insisted his captain deserves a winner's medal for his efforts during Euro 2008.

Ballack, 31, recovered from a calf injury to play against Spain at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium, but it was Torres who settled the game in Austria's capital with his strike in the 33rd minute.

"I was glad when he (Ballack) and the physios indicated on the afternoon of the game that he could play," Low said. "It was important to have him on the pitch and good to have him there.

"He is very important for our team always and he did a lot of special things in this tournament.

"He was our leader and he represented the team and Germany superbly."

Low spoke to 38-year-old goalkeeper Jens Lehmann after the defeat, but there were no discussions of retirement.

"I didn't speak to him about that," Low said. "I said 'congratulations, you played very well, the best in this tournament'," he said.

"He is also a leader in our team and very professional. I told him 'thank you' for what he did."

Low admitted Spain were worthy champions, adding: "I think we have to recognise the high quality of the Spanish players. They were playing very well during the whole tournament and today they were technically excellent and had more chances than we had. So I think they deserved the victory.

"We are disappointed after the match, but I think we can be satisfied with the tournament on the whole. The team was performing very well over the 45 days we've spent together."

Cesc Fabregas: Arsenal can be Prem's Spain and win trophies in style

Cesc Fabregas last night pledged to help turn Arsenal into the Spain of the Premier League - and start adding silverware to style.

The Gunners midfielder emerged from Spain's Euro 2008 triumph as one of the stars of the tournament, showing a maturity beyond his years.

And after another season of near-misses at club level, as Arsenal's brilliant football ended up counting for nothing, the Barcelona-born 21-year-old promised to take the confidence of his success back to Arsene Wenger's squad next season.

Fabregas said: "Winning the European Championship was the happiest day of my life as a professional footballer. I've won the FA Cup, so this is my second trophy, but it's not quite the same!

"But this is also for the Arsenal fans who have been suffering a lot this year. For them, at least one player has won something. It is for them."

With Emmanuel Adebayor and Alexander Hleb set to join Mathieu Flamini in quitting the Gunners, Fabregas's vow of continued loyalty was a massive boost for Wenger and the Arsenal fans.

He added: "Next year I want to win trophies with Arsenal, this is my target. I finally made something at a young age, I never expected it to be with Spain. Now I want to do it with Arsenal.

"I haven't seen for a very long time a team playing such nice football as we did with Spain, playing the ball around and playing beautiful football and also winning a trophy as big as this one.

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"But at Arsenal we have more or less the same quality of game and players who also play this way. Hopefully the football will also get better and better for Arsenal and next season we will add the trophies that our football deserves."

Fabregas added that the thrill of beating Germany finally allowed him to put to one side the bitter memories of Arsenal's 2006 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona.

The midfielder, who joined his team-mates for an open-air parade in Madrid when Luis Aragones' squad flew back from Austria last night, said: "This was a dream come true for me, so it definitely makes up for what happened in Paris two years ago.

"Even if they say being a finalist is important, there is no way you can replace the feeling of winning. It will take a while for us to come to terms with what we have done. There were many fans who wanted us to win, but didn't believe we could do it.

"Now we have shown they should trust us in the future. We are very young and of course now we will go for the World Cup."

Fabregas's colleagues were equally overjoyed. Liverpool's Fernando Torres pledged to try to become the best player in the world after adding a European Championship Final winner to similar lone strikes at Under-16 and Under-19 level for his country.

And his Anfield team-mate Xabi Alonso, who came on for Fabregas for the final 27 minutes, believes the frontman can fulfil all those ambitions.

Alonso said: "Fernando showed he is the man who performs on the great nights.

"He can be the best in the world. He has all the qualities to get that award and he has a bright future in front of him. Winning the Euro was a massive step for him and for us.

"It's a different feeling to winning the Champions League with Liverpool but I'm just as excited and delighted to have won both trophies. Now I would like to win a league - somewhere."

Having dangled the worm, Alonso tried to wriggle out of the next question about his own future but he held out the possibility that England could, like Spain, cast aside the burden of under - achievement in the coming years.

"We've done it, so why can't England? Why not?" he asked. "Of course to reach a final and to win it is a long way, but why not England too? They could do it.

"They don't play the same kind of football as Spain. It's different. They have different players, different manager, a different kind of football. But why not?"

Back in the real world, Barcelona midfield pair Xavi and Andres Iniesta, who tormented the Germans all night, were determined to make the most of their achievement.

Xavi said: "We knew what to do when we were suffering in the game and just to ok control of the ball again. That was the key. But we could only do that because we have been a band of brothers for a long time."

Cesc Fabregas: Arsenal will win trophies again

Cesc Fabregas has set his sights on getting Arsenal back to winning silverware again following Spain's triumph in the Euro 2008 final.

Spain lifted their first piece of silverware since the 1964 European Championship as they defeated Germany 1-0 at the weekend.
Now for Arsenal: Cesc Fabregas wants to replicate success with Arsene Wenger at club level

After coming on as substitute throughout Spain's matches, Fabregas started the match and now the midfielder is keen for glory at the Emirates Stadium after a three-year barren spell without success.
He said: "This was for the Arsenal fans that have been suffering a lot this year. For them, at least one player has won something. It is for them.
"Now next year I want to win trophies with Arsenal, this is my target. I finally made something at a young age, I never expected it to be with Spain. Now I want to do it with Arsenal.
"It's the second trophy - I have an FA Cup. But of course a European Championship is not the same."

Fabregas had suffered final defeat before in the Champions League where they lost to Barcelona two years ago.
"Does it make up for Paris? Definitely. I can see there is a massive difference between losing and winning in a final.
"Even if they say being a finalist is important, there is no way you can replace the feeling of winning.
Fabregas also believes that Spain's freedom of play throughout the tournament can be replicated at Arsenal next season.
"At Arsenal we have more or less the same quality of game (as Spain) so hopefully the football will also get better and better for Arsenal."