Football is often cruel, sometimes irrational, but this time it respected a certain logic: the best team of the Euro in Germany was rewarded, opening a new page in its glorious history even though some doubted that it would ever be at the level of Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and Cesc Fabregas.
So here we have Spain back on top of Europe for the fourth time, more than ten years after its historic run of Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012. It is completing a revival that was much quicker than expected.
The return of the Spanish fury
While most observers placed her below the favorites, this Red rejuvenated, renewed by his coach Luis de la Fuente, who arrived in Germany with blind confidence in his players but without experience at the highest level, has defied all predictions, imposing his collective superiority match after match.
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Was it promised “the group of death”? It sent Croatia into the ropes at the start (3-0), stifled Italy (1-0) and dominated Albania without trembling (1-0) to end the group stage as the only team with nine points. Then it devoured Georgia (4-1) in the round of 16, before making an impression by ejecting the host country Germany in the quarter-finals (2-1 aet) then Kylian Mbappé’s France in the semi-finals (2-1).
“Thinking about improving yourself”
A historic journey, concluded in apotheosis in Berlin against England (2-1) with a seventh victory in seven matches and a new collective demonstration punctuated by a goal from Mikel Oyarzabal in “supersub” mode. It crowns the superb management of Luis de la Fuente, nicknamed “Luis the quiet” in contrast to the volcanic character of his predecessor Luis Enrique.
“We couldn’t be happier seeing the fans, the players…,” the coach told Spanish TV after the final. “It was a wonderful day, our team was rightly crowned European champions, I’m very proud and I hope that this momentum will serve to be a little bit better every day. The virtue of this team is to think about constantly improving and we will achieve it because these players are an example for everyone.”
Yamal and Williams, the future of La Roja
While it was at its lowest after the defeat in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup against Morocco, the Spanish selection has found stability and confidence to compete with the greatest. Without denying its tradition of possession which has irrigated the successes of its brilliant elders, it has added percussion, speed and verticality by relying on its elusive wingers Lamine Yamal, 17 years old this Saturday, and Nico Williams, 22 years old since Friday.
Like two teenagers in a playground, the two dribblers, friends off the pitch, changed the face of their team and brought a breath of fresh air to the competition, with a cocktail of carefree attitude and pure talent with the ball at their feet. And they almost single-handedly led their team to victory, before England equalised and Oyarzabal scored the winning goal. “The future is ours,” headlined the sports daily AS before the final, with a fresco of the two will-o’-the-wisps, “symbols of talent and diversity.”
With his childish smile, his braces and his golden curls, Yamal has asserted himself a little more as the greatest hope of world football with 4 assists and a gem that went around the world to bring his team back to the semi-final against the Blues, breaking yet another record for precocity in the process.
A generational talent, “touched by the grace of God,” sums up De la Fuente. “We try to give a semblance of normality to this situation, to explain to him that it is with humility that he will be able to continue to progress.” To take Spain towards a new cycle of domination?
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