Euro 2012, week two: Markovic on racists; Russia hit back; fan of the week; plus the Polish Larissa Riquelme
Man of the week
Croatia FA head Vlatko Markovic – distancing himself from racist abuse by "deviant" Croatia fans. "I cannot understand it: they totally damage our image." (Markovic's pre-tournament image-building highlights – on racist chants: "If people do it, it's not my problem"; on gay players: "Football is only for the healthy"; on his critics: "You want to know what I think? Write this down: I'm fucking sick of you reporters. Understand? Write it down.")
Timing of the week
• 11 June: Russia's sports minister Vitaly Mutko says claims of racism against their fans are "stupid and untrue", giving an "unfair" impression of racist attitudes in Russian football. "Everyone is against us."
• 13 June: Top Russian agent German Tkachenko tells live TV how young forward Alan Dzagoev has a big future in the game because he always puts football first, whatever temptations come his way. "You know that joke about how a girl can avoid being raped by five African Americans? By throwing them a basketball? It's the same with Alan."
Also last week
1) Uefa fine the German FA €10,000 after fans throw paper balls at Poland players – the same amount they fined Legia Warsaw last year for displaying a "Jihad" banner during a game against Hapoel Tel Aviv.
2) Andriy Sadovyi, mayor of Lviv, says a Jewish-themed restaurant which offers diners black hats with fake sidecurls and tells them to haggle their bill is "not antisemitic... It's just an attraction. This is a totally tolerant city."
3) Andrzej Bojanowski, deputy mayor of Gdansk, says his comment that he was pleased to see "residents behaving like normal civilised white people toward our guests who are in turn also behaving like normal white people" was taken out of context. "I simply wanted to thank all our residents and guests – whatever colour their skin."
Other news
24: Number of hours before the Polish press attacked "mindless" nationalist violence in Warsaw that they previewed the Russia match with mocked-up military images of coach Franciszek Smuda themed around Poland's 1920 defeat of the Bolsheviks. Super Express: "Tomorrow the Russians will taste defeat again!" Newsweek: "Poland-Russia: The battle of Warsaw 2012."
Holland latest
13 June: Wesley Sneijder on Holland's internal issues: "We don't need a psychologist, we are grown-up men. If a psychologist comes here and he's talking for two hours, I'll be sleeping for two hours. We must unite, that's the only psychology we need." 16 June: "It's crazy. I don't understand what's happening to us."
Fastest reflex
Daily Star: covering the plan by a feminist group to protest in Kiev against sexual objectification: "BOOBIES TRAP - Babes strip in demo: England footballers will face a 'sex attack' from a bevy of topless babes at tonight's crunch clash with Sweden … 300 beauties plan a naked protest."
PR world
Quote of the week: "Pukka Pies will be making an official representation to Uefa following the exclusion of the Pukka Pies England Band for the France match. Pukka Pies said: 'The way the band have been treated leaves a sour taste in the mouth."
Sauna news
€33,000: Portugal's reported daily hotel bill, compared to Spain's €4,000. Portuguese press say Cristiano Ronaldo is in a private suite, with bespoke requirements added to the hotel including "giant plasma screens" plus "four types of sauna".
Save of the week
The Kyiv Post on the rescue of an "ill-starred tipsy foreigner, spotted by a local resident as he was sitting upset at a bus stop in Kriukivschyna". Police told the paper the fan had become lost after drinking heavily. "When he abandoned hope of finding his way he took his shaving cream and sprayed 'Help' on the asphalt. He was taken to his embassy."
Plus: model news
Model Natalia Siwiec says being dubbed "the Polish Larissa Riquelme" is demeaning - "please do not compare us" - though being pictured at matches in "racy clothing" has been "great … I'm enjoying it. I send a big kiss to my fans." Tournament verdict: "Poland will reach the final, but if not, I'll root for Portugal because I want to meet Cristiano. He is a quite a beauty." Read More
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