Spain’s Alvaro Morata lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after successful Euro 2024.
| Photograph Credit score: REUTERS
Europe rests underneath its new champion. And because the solar rose over the German grounds which witnessed the month-long conquest for European supremacy that drew blood, sweat, and tears, the air nonetheless reverberated with the vamos and viva chants. The dramatic German summer season fairytale got here to its worthy nail-biting finish with the winds of change, the winds of a Spanish second coming.
Soccer couldn’t make it residence neither might any darkish horse reign because the Spanish Armada bore the winds of chings behind its sails to recapture a part of its empire that it dominated over until a decade in the past. And it made positive no query arose over its authority.
Spain, underneath Luis de la Fuente, dominated the match in each sense of the phrase.
From ending first within the group of dying — which had holder Italy and World Cup semifinalists Croatia — with all wins and no objectives conceded, by way of the tough path to the ultimate going through world-class opponents in host Germany and former world champion France to the ultimate towards the talent-filled golden era of England, Spain left no stones unturned.
Whereas disappointments for Spain within the final decade was a lesson on how ways turn into outdated, Spanish success in Germany is a lesson on the way to take what’s outdated and remodel it to the necessities of time.
It did the identical to set off the primary period of Spanish dominance which started with a Euro Cup victory in 2008. Reeling from failures at massive phases, then-Spanish coach Luis Aragones realised that his gamers weren’t bodily sufficient for the model of play most groups adopted then and determined to herald brief passes to the sport, one thing a sure Pep Guardiola was making an attempt out with Barcelona membership then.
The primary period of Spanish supremacy may be known as the period of Tiki Taka as its midfield bamboozled opposition gamers with fast brief passes, controlling possession, and shifting the ball round with ease. The brief passes introduced Spain its second nationwide title and first for the reason that 1964 Euro Cup within the type of the 2008 Euro championship. The staff adopted it up with the World Cup two years later and went on to efficiently defend its continental title two years later.
Actuality strikes
However then got here the brand new actuality. Being on the receiving finish of Tiki Taka for six years gave different groups sufficient time to decipher it and work out counter-measures. Spain didn’t see the necessity to hold updating its gameplay and crashed out of the 2014 World Cup within the group phases, spelling out the start of the top.
However Spain’s obsession with passes and possession grew with the years, however that obsession, like all obsessions, solely led to extra tragedy.
Spain additionally failed at transition of era because it struggled to search out replacements for its champion gamers and located it tough to strike the chemistry between these it managed to search out. And its exit from 2022 World Cup, bowing out to Morocco in penalty shoot-out, after not managing to attain appeared like the top of the once-feared La Roja.
The World Cup defeat paved the way in which out for supervisor Luis Enrique, who failed to copy his success with Barcelona with the nationwide staff, and the lesser recognized de la Fuente took over.
Acquainted determine
Although de la Fuente was new to the worldwide limelight, he was well-known to the Spanish gamers, lots of whom performed underneath him at junior ranges. de la Fuente began his shifts with Spain nationwide groups in 2013 when he turned the supervisor of the under-19 outfit.
And whereas their seniors went farther off their sport, de la Fuente led the children to glory within the European championships in 2015. He turned the supervisor of the under-21 facet in 2018 and introduced residence the European title for the class a 12 months later.
When de la Fuente took over the senior facet, he knew what he needed to do. And one 12 months later, Spain seniors bought its first silverware in 11 years within the type of UEFA Nations League and is now the champion of Europe.
New identification
de la Fuente unfold out the sport from midfield to the flanks, and with the arrival of younger weapons Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams to set the wings on fireplace, Spanish soccer is getting a brand new identification.
Runner-up England — which had a bumpy trip to the ultimate circumventing the chances, relying on particular person brilliance and last-minute stroke of luck — gave the champion an sudden struggle within the last.
Although arguably higher groups than England discovered the way in which, the truth that England got here near a soccer homecoming for back-to-back tournaments might give its coach Gareth Southgate some legitimacy.
First act
Because the match turned the primary act for a handful of recent stars with the likes of Lamine Yamal, the younger participant of the match, Nico Williams and Arda Guler, some goodbyes have been inevitabe.
With gamers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Luka Modric at their sunsets and Toni Kroos calling it a day, the winds of change are whistling by way of the entire of Europe.
