England will play their Euro 2012 games in front of only a few thousand of their fans, with the Football Association having sold only 3,000 tickets for each of their group games.

England will play their Euro 2012 games in front of only a few thousand of their fans, with the Football Association having sold only 3,000 tickets for each of their group games.

Mario Balotelli intends to walk off the pitch if he is racially abused at Euro 2012 - and has claimed he would kill anyone who threw a banana at him in the street.

England full-back Leighton Baines insists he is focused on Euro 2012 rather than his own future.

Defender Phil Jagielka's "frustration" at missing out on England's initial 23-man squad for Euro 2012 was tempered after being called-up as a replacement for Gareth Barry.

Sol Campbell has the support of the Professional Footballers' Association after warning of the danger of racist abuse and violence at Euro 2012.

Think twice about drinking in Poland: "You can be taken to a drying-out clinic, where you'll be medically assessed and not released until sober. You will be required to pay the cost of any overnight stay."

A violent scuffle erupted in Ukraine's parliament yesterday evening over a bill that would allow the use of the Russian language in courts, hospitals and other institutions in the Russian-speaking regions of the country.

Ukraine's parliament has banned smoking in most public places ahead of the Euro 2012 football championship in June.

Euro 2012 kicks-off in just a matter of weeks and in anticipation The Independent is running down the key factors and people to keep an eye on in Poland and Ukraine this summer.

Striker Darren Bent has been told by new England manager Roy Hodgson that he will be part of his plans for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Gay England football fans travelling to Ukraine for Euro 2012 have been warned to keep a low profile for their own safety.

It took two lords, cloaks and daggers to find Britain's best hope of Olympic showjumping gold in 60 years