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Spanish dance

Spain’s 1-0 victory over Germany in the final of the 2008 Euro championship was a vindication of the beautiful game. The worthy champions, with their passing vivacity and attacking intent, epitomised the quality of a football tournament that has been more soul stirring than any other in recent memory. Too often in the past, teams that mesmerised with their skill on the ball lit up the earlier stages of championships only to falter when confronted by tougher-minded and better-organised opponents. Before kick-off on June 29, football lovers round the world would have surely dreaded a similar denouement. The Spaniards were up against a team that reputedly does not know how to lose. History was also against them. Spain had not won a major trophy in 44 years, while Germany has figured among the title-contenders in almost every championship over the last few decades. For the first 15 minutes of the Euro final, it did seem that determination would once again prevail over verve. Appropriately enough, it was Fernando Torres who ignited the game with his header to the base of the post minutes before powering forward to score the winning goal. From that moment, it was Spain all the way, although German tenacity was never in question.

Euro 2008 was a tournament that allowed connoisseurs to enjoy the subtleties of the game. For the most part, the teams played by the rules, helped by refereeing that was fair, firm, and sensible. In a departure from the trend of several past tournaments, play-acting was also at a premium. Turning up for national duty without the pressure of club contracts clouding their minds, the stars appeared to rediscover the football ethos instilled in them in childhood. Since coaches usually take more than their fair share of blame when the quality of football is poor, it is only fair that their positive contributions are recognised. Spanish coach Luis Aragones best symbolised the adventurism that several gentlemen on the benches displayed during the tournament. Instead of ordering his team to sit on its lead or substituting attackers with defenders for the same purpose, Aragones went the other way. Two attacking players were sent in to replace Torres and Fabregas with the outcome still open. The finalists apart, Euro 2008 was enriched by the presence of teams — notably Russia, Turkey, Holland, Croatia, and Portugal — that were willing to play as much with their hearts as with their minds.

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