EURO 2008 TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT:

IKER CASILLAS (SPAIN):

OFTEN Spain's forgotten man given the quality of the players in front of him, but absolutely vital to their progress this month. His athletic quarterfinal save from Mauro Camoranesi was fantastic, but it was trumped by two wonderful stops in the subsequent penalty-shoot out.

JOSE BOSINGWA (PORTUGAL):

CHELSEA'S first summer signing will be one of the stars of the Premier League if he maintains the form he displayed in Switzerland. Prodigiously athletic, his overlapping runs were a major feature of Portugal's impressive early performances.

Forced Paulo Ferreira on to the opposite flank and will force him on to the substitutes' bench at Stamford Bridge next season.

PER MERTESACKER (GERMANY):

COMPOSED on the ground and powerful in the air, the Werder Bremen centre-back has been the core of a generally impressive German defence. Hardly gave Austria's attackers a kick in the crucial final group game, and has formed a physically imposing partnership with teammate Christoph Metzelder.

GIORGIO CHIELLINI (ITALY):

WAS the most hated man in Italy when he injured Fabio Cannavaro in training, but ended the tournament as his nation's most successful player.

Replaced Marco Materazzi after Italy were humiliated in their opening game and did not deserve to finish on the losing side after rendering the Spanish attack impotent at the quarter- final stage.

ZURI ZHIRKOV (RUSSIA):

NORMALLY plays midfield, but has been head and shoulders above any other left-back in the tournament. What he lacks in defensive nous, he more than makes up for in attacking talent.

His overlapping runs have been a key feature of Russia's play, and his dead-ball delivery has been uniformly excellent.

MARCOS SENNA (SPAIN):

THE most under-rated player at Euro 2008. Spain's anchorman might not be as glamorous as some of his team-mates, but they would not have been able to attack so freely had he not been holding the fort behind them. Strong in the tackle and precise with a pass, he has successfully claimed Claude Makelele's crown as Europe's best holding midfielder.

WESLEY SNEIJDER (HOLLAND):

THE brightest light in a galaxy of Dutch stars that illuminated the group stage. Scored with a wonderfully athletic half-volley as Holland thrashed Italy 3-0, and crashed a long-range goal off the underside of the crossbar as France were humiliated 4-1. Always keen to get forward from midfield, and has been mentioned as a possible makeweight if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Manchester for Madrid.

ANDREI ARSHAVIN (RUSSIA):

PROBABLY the player of the tournament, even though tonight's semi-final against Spain will only be his third game. Suspended for his side's opening two matches, the Zenit St Petersburg playmaker pulled the strings as Russia beat Sweden in a decisive group game, and performed magnificently in the last-eight defeat of Holland.

His finish through Edwin van der Sar's legs provided a fitting finale to a wonderful display.

MICHAEL BALLACK (GERMANY):

FINISHED the Premier League season impressively and has carried his fine form on to the international stage. His leadership qualities persuaded manager Joachim Low to change his system, and his match-winning free-kick against Austria was unstoppable. His headed goal against Portugal helped swing last weekend's quarterfinal Germany's way.

LUKAS PODOLSKI (GERMANY):

HAS played at centre-forward and left midfield, and has looked equally effective in either position. Started the tournament with a bang as he bagged a brace against Poland, and added another goal in Germany's defeat to Croatia. His best moment, however, was the run and cross that enabled Bastian Schweinsteiger to open the scoring against Portugal.

DAVID VILLA (SPAIN):

KEEPING Fernando Torres in the shade is no easy feat, but the best striker on display at Euro 2008 has managed exactly that. Became the seventh player to score a European Championships hat-trick when he single- handedly dismantled Russia in the group stage, and scored a last-minute winner in Spain's 2-1 victory over Sweden.

Likely to have his pick of Europe's top clubs this summer.

Substitutes: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Servet Cetin (Turkey), Deco (Portugal), Luka Modric (Croatia), Nihat Kahveci (Turkey).

MANAGER: GUUS HIDDINK (RUSSIA):

LOOKED to be heading for a humiliation when Russia were thrashed by Spain in their opening match, but has cemented his reputation as one of the greatest international managers of all time by reaching the semi-finals of a major tournament with a third different team. Has developed a fluid, free-flowing system that enables Russia's most talented players to express themselves freely.