Spain enjoy European supremacy in 2012

Del Bosque’s side quashed ‘boring football’ theory with Euro title.

LONDON: With a performance of breath-taking technical mastery in their Euro 2012 final humbling of Italy, Spain proved this year that they are one of the greatest national teams ever to have graced the game.

The 4-0 victory over the Azzurri in Kiev on July 1 made Vicente del Bosque’s side the first team to successfully defend the European crown and the first nation to win three consecutive major international titles.

In the build-up to the final, however, Spain had found themselves assailed by accusations that their intricate passing football had become ‘boring’.

After beating France 2-0 in the last eight, they needed penalties to overcome Iberian rivals Portugal in the semi-finals, and there were claims that their style had become mechanical.

The critics’ pens were poised, but Xavi and player of the tournament Andres Iniesta blew off the cobwebs in the final to inspire a thrilling demolition of Cesare Prandelli’s Italy.



“We’re talking about a great generation of footballers,” said Del Bosque. “They have roots, and they know how to play together because they come from a country where they learn to play properly.

“We’ve done a great job. We have some great lads who play abroad, which was impossible before. We didn’t really have players abroad and now foreign clubs want our players, so this is a great era for Spanish football.”

Spanish thoughts quickly turned to the next World Cup, in Brazil in 2014, when the hosts will hope to exorcise the spectres that still linger from their shock loss to Uruguay when they last hosted the tournament in 1950.

Brazil endures trying year

Meanwhile, Fifa now appears satisfied with Brazil’s infrastructural preparations, but ahead of next year’s dry run in the Confederations Cup, there are fears the team itself may not come up to scratch.

Brazil endured a trying year, notably failing to add a long sought-after Olympic gold medal to their trophy collection after being upset by Mexico in the competition final in London in August.

Lionel Messi’s 12 goals in nine international games, meanwhile, suggest he has finally found the secret to reproducing his Barcelona form in the colours of his country.

The year began with a memorable underdog tale, as unfancied Zambia defeated the mighty Ivory Coast on penalties in Gabon to claim their first ever Africa Cup of Nations title.

There were first-time successes in the continental club tournaments as well, with English giants Chelsea, Corinthians of Brazil and South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai triumphing in Europe, South America and Asia.

Football also began to adjust to the arrival of goal-line technology, with two systems – HawkEye and GoalRef – trialed during December’s Club World Cup in Japan, which saw Corinthians edge Chelsea 1-0 in the final.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2012.