Flags, fanfares for Spain's arrival

A trumpet fanfare and a sea of national flags greeted Spain’s arrival in Poland on Tuesday, as they aimed to become the first side in the history of the European football championships to win back-to-back titles. Vicente Del Bosque’s side flew into the Baltic port city of Gdansk in northern Poland and made straight for the small town of Gniewino 70 kilometres (43.5 miles) away, where they will be based for the duration of the tournament. The red and yellow of the Spanish flag were everywhere in the town, where La Roja – world champions after their win in South Africa two years ago – were heralded on their arrival. The tournament favourites, made up largely of Real Madrid “Galacticos” and Barcelona stars, take on Italy in Gdansk on Sunday in a Group C that also features the Republic of Ireland and Croatia. Spain received a boost before boarding the flight to Poland when midfielder Cesc Fabregas was able to train with his team-mates after recovering from a right thigh injury sustained in Barcelona’s 3-0 Spanish cup final victory late last month. The Spanish football federation, however, said that Real Madrid fullback Alvaro Arbeloa trained apart because of a trapped nerve in his...