Spain's Euro 2008 cup

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, epitomized the quality of a football tournament that has been more soul stirring than any other in the recent memory. Try often in the past, teams that mesmerized with their skills on the ball lit up the earlier stages of championships only to falter when confronted by tougher minded and better-organized opponents. Before kicking on June 29, football lovers around the world would have surely dreaded a similar denouement. The Spainards were up against a team that reputedly does not know how to lose. History was also against them. Spain has 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 movement, 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 team player 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 then their fair share of blame when the quality of football is poor, it is only fair that their positive contributions are recognized. Spanish coach Luis Aragones best symbolized the adventurism that several gentleman 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 finalist 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.