Hundreds of thousands of ecstatic flag-waving fans cheered Spain's Euro 2008 players as they were feted in a parade in an open-top bus through Madrid to celebrate the country's first major football trophy in 44 years.

Soccer’s new European champions speak Spanish. The victorious Spain team also speaks a different language on the field, and the rest of Europe better start learning it quickly. Spain beat three-time champion Germany 1-0 in Vienna on Sunday, but a score like 3-0 would have been more accurate. The team coached by 69-year-old Luis Aragones showed how the game should be played.

Spain’s 1-0 victory over Germany in the European Championship final got a 3.1 overnight rating on ABC. Sunday’s match was the first Euro final televised on U.S. network television. The overnight was based on 56 markets; national ratings will be available later in the week. Italy’s penalty-kicks victory over France in the 2006 World Cup final received an 8.6 overnight rating on ABC and a 7.0 national…

Tens of thousands of ecstatic
Spaniards lined the streets of Madrid on Monday to cheer home
their soccer heroes, after Spain’s Euro 2008 final victory in
Vienna on Sunday.

Portuguese judicial authorities announced Monday they were dropping the case against FC Porto president Jorge Pinto da Costa, relating to alleged match-fixing of a first division game during the 2003/2004 season.

Chelsea signed Portugal’s
Brazilian-born playmaker Deco from Barcelona on Monday, the day
before Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari takes over as coach of the
Premier League side.

Costa Rica has named former
assistant coach Rodrigo Kenton as the new head of the national
soccer team, a spokesman for the Costa Rica Football Federation
said on Monday.

A huge flag-waving crowd gave Germany's not quite all-conquering football team a heroes' welcome in central Berlin on Monday despite their 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2008.

Spain’s victory in the European Championship was hailed by the prime minister Monday as not just a breakthrough for soccer but for the nation as well. “It is right that a football victory on this level strengthens the unity in a country,” Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said during a visit to Denmark.

Newcastle United midfield Joey
Barton pleaded guilty on Monday to assaulting team mate Ousmane
Dabo during a training session last year when both played for
Manchester City, the police said.