Euro 2012 Countdown: More Bad News for England, Ukraine Cry Foul, Yarn Bombing

Euro 2012 is just hours away, but there's still plenty of time for news, rumors and gossip.

Alas, for perpetually unlucky England, there are mostly bad tidings. But that hasn't stopped their best player from expressing optimism anyway.

Elsewhere, Italy could have a new high-profile manager after the tournament, Germany's midfield powerhouse is fit and Ukraine's manager is a conspiracy theorist.

Oh, and we also have an item on something called yarn bombing.

Rooney: England Can Win It

Wayne Rooney will be suspended for England's first two matches at Euro 2012. Rooney, however, doesn't see why England can't win the tournament, according to The Independent.

"We've certainly got the players and the quality," he said. "The new manager coming in has lifted the players and everybody."

Rooney, 26, has scored 28 goals in 74 senior international appearances for England.

FIFA ranked England sixth in its most recent world rankings.

Schweinsteiger: I'm Fit

Tournament co-favorites Germany received a boost Wednesday when central midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger declared himself fully fit following a calf strain.

"I'm fine. It's fun to play with such a team," Schweinsteiger said, according to The Independent.

Schweinsteiger, 27, has earned 90 caps for Germany, scoring 23 goals.

Mancini for Italy?

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini could be the next manager of Italy.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Mancini is a "leading candidate" to replace current manager Cesare Prandelli, should Prandelli leave the team following Euro 2012.

Mancini, 47, led Manchester City to the English Premier League title this past season. It was City's first league title since 1968.

Rio Ferdinand Latest

The Rio Ferdinand controversy continues to engulf the English national team.

Sol Campbell, a former England international defender, wrote a column Wednesday in The Guardian. In it he expressed doubts that Ferdinand was left out of Roy Hodgson's (pictured) England squad due to the now-famous "footballing reasons."

Campbell wrote: "We have now reached a point where big questions have to be asked over Rio Ferdinand's exclusion from England's squad for Euro 2012, such as what are the real reasons, and why? And, is there a cover-up?"

Campbell later wrote that, if it is ever proven that race was indeed a factor in Hodgson's decision, he would no longer wish to be associated with the England national team.

He wrote: "I would tell the FA that they can take back my 73 caps and scrub my name out of the record books. I would no longer want to be known as someone who played for England—that would be the end for me."

Meanwhile, France's Patrice Evra has also expressed support for Ferdinand, his teammate at Manchester United.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Evra said he was "amazed" that Ferdinand had been left out of the England squad.

Defoe Heads Home

The bad news just keeps coming for England.

Forward Jermain Defoe has left the team following the death of his father. Defoe, 29, flew back to England and will not play in Euro 2012 (per ESPN FC).

England boss Roy Hodgson has not named a replacement for Defoe.

Oleh Cries Foul

Ukrainian manager Oleh Blokhin is crying foul after 10 players came down with a stomach ailment this week.

According to the BBC, Blokhin thinks "sabotage" may have been involved.

"It happened in Germany, but it is impossible to establish the causes—all ate different food," Blokhin said. "It may have been sabotage. I do not know. It cannot be accidental."

Yes, the Germans are so afraid of Ukraine that they poisoned several different dishes of food. That's definitely what happened, Oleh.

Yarn Bombing

With Euro 2012 all set to start, the Ukrainian city of Lviv is awash with yarn.

Lviv, you see, is celebrating International Yarn Bombing Day.

Never heard of International Yarn Bombing Day?

UEFA.com explains it all for you: "Yarn Bombing is the practice of dressing trees, bridges and other public structures in knitted or crocheted yarn."

Sounds like quite the spectacle.

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