Euro 2008 generated a net profit of 250 million euros ($393.7 million) for UEFA, European soccer’s governing body said on Tuesday.

UEFA said the money would be used to finance its youth and women’s competitions, refereeing and coaching programmes and administrative costs.

Martin Kallen, chief operating officer for the event organisers, said that in comparison with the 2004 finals in Portugal the 2008 event had seen improvements “in almost all areas”, including satisfactory television viewing figures, high public transport usage and the lack of any major security incidents.
Organisers said poor weather at the start of the tournament and the black market resale of tickets had been among the less satisfactory aspects.

More than 1.7 million ticket applications were cancelled before the event in connection with the black market, with a further 1,300 tickets cancelled or seized during the tournament itself.

“Clearly the black market remains a problem though,” Kallen said. “Despite all our efforts there were many, many tickets that ended up on the black market.

“We will have to look into what we can do about that in the future, although we know it is not something we can ever control one hundred percent.”

Michael Ballack ended on the losing side in a final again but Germany coach Joachim Low insisted his skipper deserves a winners’ medal for his efforts during Euro 2008.

Ballack has been known as a ‘nearly man’ after being suspended for the World Cup final in 2002 just after Bayer Leverkusen missed a trio of chances for silverware. He also finished with Premier League and Champions League runner-up medals this season.

“I was glad when he 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.”

When asked if he deserved a medal, Low replied: “Yes, he does.”

Low spoke to 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.”

Germany coach Joachim Low refused to be downbeat despite watching his Germany lose in Sunday’s Euro 2008 final against Spain.

“I have to compliment the team for what they have achieved over the past few weeks,” said the 48-year-old.

“It has been fantastic. The players are obviously disappointed, but they have every reason to hold their heads up high.”

Spain striker Fernando Torres has described his side’s Euro 2008 victory as a ‘dream come true’.

Spain won all of their games in Austria and Switzerland and Liverpool striker Torres believes the correct team won Euro 2008.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Torres.

“At last justice has been done because the team that played the best football won the tournament.

“I feel a tremendous joy. 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.”

“It’s our first title (together) and we hope it will be the first of many,” added Torres. “We’ve still got the World Cup to come, we have to be ambitious.”

Spain manager Luis Aragones has paid tribute to Euro 2008 final goalscorer Fernando Torres. 

“Fernando is a great player for Liverpool and for our team and he can go anywhere because he has really extraordinary speed and he knows how to dribble,” Aragones said.

“We always tell him he’s a player who is so young that he can learn to do everything and there is no doubt he can be one of the best players in the world.” 

“I think people will look up to this Spain and how we play,” the 69-year-old said.

Aragones is set to step down as manager of Spain, as announced prior to Euro 2008, and he has urged the new boss, expected to be Vicente Del Bosque, to continue to allow the players to express themselves.
 
“I said if we manage this group well, we will be champions. They are so good. I hope Spain will go on in this way,” Aragones continued.

“The only thing I have to say to the manager who comes after me is to please treat them (the players) well and let them do their job.

“I have the mental strength to do it, and others may not have it.”

Spain coach Luis Aragones has reiterated that he could have stayed on as manager if he had been asked.

Before Sunday’s final victory over Germany at Ernst Happel Stadium, Aragones revealed that he made a decision to leave his post after the Spanish Football Federation failed to show a desire to retain his services. As such, he had little choice but to announce prior to Euro 2008 that he would be stepping down after the tournament.

“I will not be staying on as coach because I have been given no possibility to,” said Aragones.
 
However, Aragones was pleased with his team’s performance, adding: “We did things well, we won, period.”

Spain ended their 44-year wait for international glory as they defeated Germany 1-0 in the final of Euro 2008 at Ernst Happel stadium.

Fernando Torres scored in the 33rd minute to secure Spain’s first piece of silverware since the 1964 European Championship.

Germany captain Michael Ballack gave the Germans a boost by playing, with doubts over his fitness as he had suffered a calf injury prior to the match.

Spain manager Luis Aragones also opted to start with Cesc Fabregas to replace striker David Villa, who was injured. David Villa ended the tournament as top scorer with four goals, and the first time since Marco Van Basten in 1988 did the top scorer of the tournament come from a nation who won the European Championship.

The Germans were lacklustre and it was Spain who settled after early nerves. Philip Lahm allowed Torres to squeeze past him to clip the ball over Lehmann for the winning goal, and he paid for it as he was replaced by Marcell Jansen. Germany did better in the second half, but found no way past the defensive marshalling of Puyol and Marchena.

Spain very nearly grabbed a second at the death, Senna close to rounding off a wonderful tournament. They did not need the second goal though, as referee Rosetti’s final whistle sparked wild celebrations and captain Casillas lifted the Euro 2008 trophy.

Germany captain Michael Ballack is a doubt for Sunday’s Euro 2008 final against Spain because of a calf muscle injury.

“Michael Ballack has not been able to train the past two days,” Germany manager Joachim Low told a news conference on Saturday.

“On Friday, he had a problem with his right calf, the muscle has hardened and today he couldn’t possibly train so we’ll have to see how it develops overnight.

“Despite everything I’m hoping he will play.

“He’s the team captain and an extremely important player but if he can’t play, someone will replace him.

“We’ll have to cope and find a solution. We will find a solution.”

“Our medical team will be working with him round the clock but we have to think seriously about alternatives. We could play with (Tim) Borowski or (Bastian) Schweinsteiger in his position.”

Fernando Torres believes Spain will dominate world football for years to come after breaking their big-time jinx.

Spain have been branded perennial under-achievers after falling short at a host of major tournaments, failing to reach a major final in 24 years.

However, their 3-0 win over Russia meant they would face Germany in the Euro 2008 final in Vienna.

Torres said: “This was a really important game. Our team always had a lot of class but what we lacked was the ability to show it at the highest level in these tournaments. Now we are doing that.

“We are confident but of course we’re not taking for granted that we’re going to win against Germany.

“They are a rival. They know how to win and are used to winning. They know how to play those big games and are the favourites.

“We have absolute respect for Germany but we have to go to the final believing that if we play like we have up to now we can beat them.”

Torres believes the future belongs to this formidable Spain squad as the players have an average age of just 24 years old.

The Liverpool striker added: “We know we made history but we also know we can do more in the future.

“We are very proud to play the final and against Germany, who are a great rival.

“I hope the best is yet to come. I think it’s a huge success that Spain are in the final after such a long time but we are not satisfied with that. We want to be champions.”

The Liverpool idol added: “The experience of the Germans and the fact they played so many finals since we last reached a final ourselves is something that could play an important role.

“But, on the other hand, we have the hunger and the desire to finally win something.

“We have reached the final but nobody remembers the runners up. We want to be champions and make the whole world talk about us — at least until the next European Championships in four years.”

Torres said of Fabregas, who was most likely to take the place of the injured David Villa: “Cesc has shown he’s a great player, a massive player for us and he was the difference between us and Russia in the semi-final.

“He knows how to control the rhythm of a game and to have a player of this level is very important.

“It’s true that our manager has a tremendous dilemma now about his midfield. But it’s a good one to have, to be able to choose players and have fantastic players on the bench that can come on and change a game.”

Torres added: “We know how the Germans are. We have to learn from our game against Italy, who are also a team that win tournaments.

“We have to keep calm and try and exploit our opportunities to cause them damage.”

Despite some barnstorming displays at Euro 2008, Torres has so far scored only once — in the 2-1 group victory against Sweden.

Yet he added: “I’m not disappointed not to score. I am happy to be in the final and with the work I did for the team.

“We are where we wanted to be. We’re in the final of the Euro and now we have the chance to be champions. We must take it.”

Germany coach Joachim Löw is expecting a difficult encounter against Spain in the final of Euro 2008.

“The Spaniards put in an impressive performance,” Low told the DFB’s official website.

“They have played the whole tournament at the highest level and have been technically very good.

“They proved in impressive fashion that they were the better team against the Russians and they have a more varied game than the Portuguese.

“Their midfielders constantly change positions and keep getting forward - all of which makes them hard to work out.”