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Spain
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One of the world's soccer superpowers by reputation and charisma does not have too much to show. Spain has won just two major tournaments,
both of them at home:
the 1964 European Championship and the 1992 Olympic tournament.
This time around the hopes are high as the current coach Luís
Aragonés handles a technically extraordinary team capable
of reaching the top 44 years later.
The road to Austria and Switzerland was covered with booby traps and after two defeats in the initial three games it looked like Spain could actually miss out on its first big event since 1992. However, the Red Furies made up for the lost ground seizing 22 out of 24 possible points from the next eight games in Group F and finishing top of the group ahead of Sweden.
It was the midfielders who carried the biggest burden of the qualifying campaign, masterful technicians like Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc or Xabi Alonso, whose skills proved too much of an enigma for notoriously one-dimensional rivals like Sweden, Denmark or Northern Ireland. The team functioned like clockwork, producing a flurry of precious plays and creating real euphoria among fans and reporters alike.
So happy was Aragonés with his men's performance that he promised to take all of them to Austria and Switzerland.
"These players have deserved to go to the Euros because of their quality and above all because of their extraordinary professionalism," announced Aragonés at the end of the qualifiers. The problem is that the group that achieved the qualification did not include the best Spanish player in the last 15 years, Raúl González or his mate at Real, Guti, both in wonderful form this season. The national media and Real's players have all attempted to persuade the coach to take these two back, but public opinion only increased the stubborn coach's determination to have it his way.
It may be that Aragonés dislikes anybody who may question his leadership, but the team for all its skills lacks a leader, someone to affirm his authority in the dressing rooms. Someone like the old captains Zubizarreta or Hierro in the time of Javier Clemente.
His maturity utterly belies his age. He will be only 21 at the start of the Championship and he will already have completed four full seasons in Arsenal's first team (actually he joined the Gunners midway through the 2003/04 season.
Fernando TorresThe Anfield favourite could also fit the description of the key player but it is not clear whether he will be the starter in Aragonés's single striker formation. This shows how much firepower Spain have upfront.
Luís Aragonés. Born on July 28th, 1938 in Hortaleza
near Madrid, Aragonés stepped in for Iñaki Sáez
in 2004. Caused uproar the same year when he called Thierry Henry
a "black shit" while pep-talking to then Arsenal striker
José Reyes.
An extraordinary forward for Atlético Madrid and Spain, Aragonés
was the author of one of the unluckiest goals in history. Just three
minutes from the end of extra-time, he scored a wonderful free kick
to bring Atlético in front against Bayern in the 1974 Champions
Cup finals...only to see his effort neutralized by Schwarzenbeck
in the 120th minute. In the replay the Germans won 4-0.
His coaching career at Atlético started spectacularly with
an Intercontinental Cup, Spanish Cup and a League title in his first
three seasons. Since that time he coached Atlético in three
other spells, leading them to two more Cups. He also won the 1988
Cup with Barcelona and came tantalizingly close to snatching the
1996 League title with Valencia at the expense of none other than
Atlético.
1996 Quarter finals
2000 Quarter finals
2004 First round
The obsession to win a major tournament has traditionally worked
against Spain, but on paper, the current team lacks nothing. Perhaps
only a heavyweight midfield enforcer like David Albelda, currently
ostracized by Ronald Koeman in Valencia.
Two first-class keepers, a tigerish and versatile defender in Sergio
Ramos, a highly technical midfield and plenty of talent in attack
guarantee at least spectacular play if not silverware.
Goalkeepers Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Andres Palop (Sevilla),
Pepe Reina (Liverpool)
Defenders Raul Albiol (Valencia), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal),
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Juanito Gutierrez (Real Betis), Fernando
Navarro (Mallorca), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Carlos Marchena (Valencia),
Alvaro Arbeloa (Liverpool)
Midfielders Xavi Hernandez (FC Barcelona), Andres Iniesta
(Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), David Silva (Valencia), Xabi
Alonso (Liverpool), Marcos Senna (Villarreal), Ruben De La Red (Getafe),
Santi Cazorla (Villarreal)
Forwards Fernando Torres (Liverpool), David Villa (Valencia),
Daniel Guiza (Mallorca), Sergio Garcia (Zaragoza)