Giovanni Trapattoni refuses to believe that the Republic of Ireland cannot get out of the group stages at Euro 2012.

The Italian was speaking ahead of this evening’s opening group game against Croatia and says that you only have to see the success that Chelsea had in the Champions League to see that anything is possible within football:

"I say 'never say never', ninety per cent of German people thought that Bayern Munich would beat Chelsea but they did not. We believe in the result. We come here because we are determined to get out of the group."

Captain Robbie Keane was equally buoyant about the Republic’s chances and wants to repay the reported 20,000 fans that have travelled to the Euros and give them as much joy as possible:

"These finals have been a long time coming and it's great to see the atmosphere of the nation. The country has been on its knees for a few years and our qualification has given it a lift. It's up to us to give the people as much joy as possible." (Guardian)