Euro 2012: Spain banished their demons in 2008

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“All good things come to those who wait,” so says the inimitable Robert De Niro in the movie Ronin. Well, in the case of World champions Spain this couldn’t have been any truer.

After having endured the time worn-out cliché of perennial underachievers tag like a millstone around their neck, La Furia Roja finally silenced their ever-increasing critics with a virtuoso display that went a long way towards pleasing both their fans and neutrals alike in Euro 2008.

However hard it is to comprehend, that triumph was Spain’s only second major success following their title in the 1964 edition, which incidentally they hosted.

How Spain endured such a long wait of 44 years despite talent and flair not being in short supply will remain a mystery never to be cracked by anyone.

Spain boast of one of the most competitive leagues in Europe and are home to some of the world’s high-profile stars.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are two clubs that command a huge fan following in all corners of the globe and the lion’s share of players who represent the Spanish team are from either of these two powerhouses.

At the domestic level they have enjoyed a sustained degree of success and yet inexplicably they have failed to translate that dominance into the national scene.

One gets the impression that it’s either a case of feast or famine with regard to Spain as after the high of Euro 2008 they followed it up with their momentous World Cup 2010 win, which was, needless to say, a crown in their jewel, although their performances during the course of the showpiece event weren’t up to scratch.

That a team that comprised the likes of midfield maestros Xavi and Andres Iniesta coupled with the lethal duo of David Villa and Fernando Torres were made to struggle to get past the finishing line against teams such as Chile and Paraguay exposed some of the chinks in their armour of invincibility.

Critics were quick to point out that it wasn’t the brand of attractive football that one had come to associate with the mighty Spaniards.

Amidst all this period of new-found prosperity, what we must not let escape our attention is the instrumental role played by their mustachioed, unpretentious manager Vicente del Bosque.

Taking over the reins from the brusque Luis Aragones, who entered the record books for being the oldest manager (70) ever to win a trophy, was never going to be easy and to give credit where it’s due Del Bosque carried on in the same vein by galvanizing the team into one cohesive unit.

Del Bosque’s managerial credentials were never in doubt as he had won a truckload of trophies while at the helm of Real.

That he has succeeded in replicating that level of astounding success at the international level is indeed praiseworthy.

Heading into the Euro 2012, Spain have once again been touted as the odds-on favourites to retain their trophy and they have the unique opportunity of becoming the first team to be crowned as the world and double Euro champions, something even the all-conquering Germans failed to accomplish in the early 70s.