Spain retain European championship after stylish victory over Italy

Spain celebrates victory in Kiev: below insert; UEFA president with Poland's president Bronislaw Komorowski: photo - EPA/PAP/Radek Pietruszka and Sergey Dolzhenko

Goals from David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata topped off a scintillating performance by one of the greatest international sides in football's history.

No side has ever won three major championships in a row: Euro 2008, World Cup 2010 and now Euro 2012.

"We're talking about a great generation of footballers," said 61 year-old Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque after the match.

President Bronislaw Komorowski represented co-hosts Poland in the audience for the final, alongside presidents of Italy, Georgia and Belarus, Prince Filip of Spain, the Italian prime minister, former Polish presidents Lech Walesa and Aleksander Kwasniewski and several members of the Polish government.

Poland's prime minister Donald Tusk watched the match at home in Warsaw.

“Several days ago I became a grandfather for a second time and I promised my family that I will take care of my older grandson. We shall watch the game together,” Tusk said before the match on Sunday which wound up the Euro 2012 tournament.

Poland's national team, even though eliminated at the group stage of the tournament, have been invited to a meeting Monday with President Komorowski and Prime Minister Tusk.

Representatives of the host cities of the event – Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan and Wroclaw – will also be present. (pg/mk)