Spain makes the history - UPDATE - PHOTOS - VIDEO

Spain saved their best until last at UEFA EURO 2012, a final record 4-0 victory in Kyiv completing an unprecedented hat-trick of major tournament wins.

Against a flagging Italy side whose thrilling knockout campaign looked to have caught up with them, Spain were in control from the moment David Silva broke the deadlock with a rare header on 14 minutes. A barnstorming second with half-time approaching from the indefatigable Jordi Alba, his first international goal, left the Azzurri with a mountain to climb. The sight of Thiago Motta, their third substitute, being carried off on a stretcher ended all hope, leaving Italy to play out the last 28 minutes with ten men – Spain replacements Fernando Torres and Juan Mata fully capitalised.

This was billed as a meeting of great creative minds, of conductors in their prime, of Xavi Hernández against Andrea Pirlo; but for much of the opening stages it was a one-man show. Spain's No8 picked up the baton from the off, in harmony with Andrés Iniesta, dictating La Roja's now familiar staccato movement as Italy were forced deeper and deeper. The olés had already begun among the sizeable Spanish contingent of the 63,170 crowd when, on 14 minutes, the pair combined to such devastating effect.

Xavi, who had fired just over moments earlier, fed Iniesta and his finely weighted ball allowed Cesc Fàbregas to easily outstrip Giorgio Chiellini on the inside-right channel. There was still plenty to do but how easily Spain made it look as Fàbregas pulled a sharp ball back for Silva, all 170cm of him, to a glance his header in. It proved a disappointed Chiellini's last real action as he soon succumbed to the thigh problem that has hampered him throughout in Poland and Ukraine.

A heavy-legged Italy could ill afford the double blow, but impressively they fought their way back into it. Pirlo, inevitably, was their driving force, the beating drum that pulled the strings at the back and sounded the horn to attack. Not that there was much of that. In fact, Pirlo's most telling contribution of the first half was a superb last-ditch block on Iniesta. Yet try as he might – and he did try – the 33-year-old could not be everywhere.

Spain's second was a little too easy, though. Standing on the touch line near halfway, Fàbregas headed Iker Casillas's clearance to Alba who turned the ball into Xavi before haring forward. The Azzurri back line did not seem to notice but the erudite Xavi did, advancing forward before slotting his new FC Barcelona club-mate in. The composed left-footed finish that followed would have pleased even David Villa, watching in the stands with Carles Puyol.

It seemed nothing could deny a first competitive victory against the Azzurri over 90 minutes in 92 years now, but Italy were not done yet. Antonio Di Natale, scorer in the 1-1 draw between these sides three weeks ago, came on for Antonio Cassano and within six minutes he could have scored twice. His first chance, a header, was far from simple but the striker could have done better when Riccardo Montolivo's pass found him in space. He snatched at the chance, though, and the advancing Casillas blocked.

Yet Italy's slender hopes of mounting a comeback disappeared when Thiago Motta did likewise down the tunnel. It was left for Xavi to resume his conducting, slowing things down until, with six minutes remaining, he upped the tempo for a rousing crescendo. First he robbed Pirlo in midfield and set up Torres for a goal to add to his UEFA EURO 2008 showpiece effort – a feat no one has managed before – then he combined with Torres to release Mata, just on, to set seal on an emphatic win. It has been an emphatic four years.

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Having become the first team to successfully defend the UEFA European Championship, Spain have joined Germany as the only three-time winners of the continent's greatest prize.
Spain class of 2012 have etched their country's name on to the Henri Delaunay trophy for a third time with their record 4-0 victory against Italy in Kyiv.

David Silva (14th), Jordi Alba (41st), Fernando Torres (84th) and Juan Mata (88th) were on target as Barcelona midfielders Xavi and Andres Iniesta pulled the strings in midfield in their usual commanding style after some slightly below-par performances earlier in the tournament.

Vicente del Bosque's men won the 14th edition of the UEFA European Championship at the Olympic Stadium, denying their opponents a second title in the process.

Spain were previously crowned European champions on home soil in 1964 and in Austria/Switzerland four years ago and now join Germany (1972, 1980 as West Germany, 1996) as the only country with three titles.

France (1984, 2000) have claimed the cup twice; the Soviet Union (1960), Italy (1968), Czechoslovakia (1976), Netherlands (1988), Denmark (1992) and Greece (2004) complete the nine-strong list of former winners.