SIX days on, some of the Spanish are half-heartedly trying to clear away the debris from the party, while those with more stamina keep insisting on cracking open another bottle of cava.
Spain's media coverage of its football rarely wanders far from the self-congratulatory, although for the last four-and-a-half decades the plaudits have been reserved for the clubs. Success by the seleccion is such a novel experience that even the mos
t effusive commentators have struggled to find fresh superlatives.
One of the initial dilemmas has been how blatant to be with the revisionism, specifically in the case of Luis Aragones. After being subjected to undignified bouts of the bumps from his ecstatic players, the grumpiest dictator since Francisco Franco has been rubbing his favourite organ, his spleen, and contemplating the novelty of being a national treasure. Three months ago, virtually all of Spain would have leapt at the chance of getting rid of him before the tournament began. Even now, you suspect that the spontaneous yells of "quedate!" ("stay"!) were followed by panicky mumbles of "he won't will he?"
Winning Euro 2008 hasn't turned Aragones into a charming old visionary overnight. It did demonstrate, though, that the reactionary traits that turned so many against him, his stubbornness and his contempt for PR, could be turned into positives. As a manager his masterstroke was omitting Spain's ageing golden boy Raul from his plans.
Raul had an impressive season with Real Madrid, finishing second top scorer in La Liga, and on form and reputation would have earned a place in most of the squads at the tournament. Aragones recognised that his disparate Spanish squad bonded better without the imposing and intrusive presence of the Castilian symbol that Raul had become (Guti suffered the same fate, mainly for being Raul's sidekick, although Aragones didn't like his hairstyle). Raul sent his congratulations this week, albeit through an intermediary. You have to feel some sympathy for a player who has represented Spain at five major tournaments, watching his team-mates win the sixth without him.
Aragones played a good hand very astutely. Fabio Capello for one may have been interested in Aragones's solution to having two very similar world-class midfielders at his disposal in Xavi Hernandez and Cesc Fabregas. Only Xavi started, and when Fabregas came in for the final, he was given a role that ensured he didn't duplicate the immaculate Barcelona maestro.
Aragones gave an interesting interview to Marca on Wednesday where he suggested that the Spanish team had played better in the 2006 World Cup, but lacked the necessary experience and resolve. He made an immodest and spurious comparison to the Brazil team of 1970 in that they too played with one holding midfielder forming the base for creative attacking midfielders. That is the glorious consolation of advanced age, you can claim to have seen it all before.
Spain's pride in its achievement was strengthened by the knowledge that it was achieved with a style of football that the Spanish like to think typifies their national approach to the game. To an extent that is true. Watch any kickabout on waste ground in any Spanish town and you'll see kids take more delight in an elegant pass, flick or trick than in a tackle or shot. Possession is almost more important than a goal. Aragones's team, though, was the first Spanish national side to be able to ally this technical mastery with a cutting edge up front.
The coach cannot take too much credit for this. He is no purist. If Spain had been blessed with a generation of tough centre-backs and rugged midfield ball-winners, Aragones would have happily adopted a reductive style. Instead he looked at a squad with a glut of diminutive technicians with immaculate touch and vision. He weeded out anyone with an ego greater than their team ethic, a policy which started at Raul and included players like Jose-Antonio Reyes and Joaquin.
The organisers chose Xavi as their player of the tournament, and for once it was a sensible choice, as he was the player who typified the team style. Spain's strength, however, was not relying on individuals. Germany's weakness was amplified by the degree to which they looked to their midfield dynamos Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Ballack to paper over a general mediocrity.
"Together with the reds" was the tournament slogan, and this was an admirably unified team, although it is premature to suggest it will unify Spain.
Some Real fans will still say it would have been easier with Raul in the team. Barcelona supporters will claim it as a Catalan triumph given the contributions of Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas. Sergio Ramos celebrated with the regional flag of Andalucia and a touching T-shirt commemorating Spain's lost left-back Antonio Puerta, who died last August.
It was all things to all Spaniards, and now they rather fancy themselves for the World Cup.
The full article contains 835 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
