Spain’s brilliance with the ball caught the eye, but their effectiveness without it made the difference


In stark contrast to the remarkable success of Greece four years ago – achieved as it was through some of the most negative, unentertaining football you will ever witness at a major tournament – Spain’s Euro 2008 triumph will be gleefully embraced by proponents of attacking football everywhere.


Cantankerous Spanish coach Luis Aragonés relied heavily on no fewer than four playmakers – Xavi (UEFA's player of the tournament), David Silva, and Andres Iniesta in the starting lineup, with Cesc Fabregas mostly used as an impact substitute – in addition to his two-pronged attack of David Villa, the tournament’s top scorer, and Fernando Torres, who shrugged off a series of disappointing displays to decide the Final against Germany with a masterful finish.



With the most technically gifted midfield in the tournament supplying the ammunition for the likes of Torres, Villa, and Daniel Guiza (La Liga’s leading scorer last season), it was no surprise that the Spanish were the competition’s top scorers (with 12 goals) while overwhelming all comers with the intricate passing, constant movement, and imaginativeness of their engine room.




UEFA's player of the tournament – Xavi


Ironic, then, that the element which separated La Furia Roja from most of their counterparts was not their attacking élan, but rather their defensive solidity. After all, Euro 2008 was the rare major international tournament where positive football and regular goalscoring remained the order of the day from start to finish. The few teams who were unwilling or unable to take the game to their opponents (this year’s edition of Greece springs to mind) were generally sent packing swiftly. Meanwhile, Portugal, Turkey, Holland, Russia, and Germany all owed the lion’s share of their success to their prowess going forward – just as well, given that all showed glaring weaknesses at the back which were eventually punished.


Only the Spanish truly managed to combine a consistent cutting edge and a commitment to their attacking principles with a reliable rearguard. The central defensive partnership of Carles Puyol and Carlos Marchena was easily the best in show, despite question marks hanging over both men (particularly Marchena) heading into the competition.




Dynamic right-back Sergio Ramos, whose errors cost Spain a goal in each of its first two group matches, eventually found his stride and was irrepressible in the knockout rounds, while the more prosaic Joan Capdevila was quietly effective on the opposite flank. Of course, they all benefitted from the predictably splendid form between the sticks of skipper Iker Casillas, as well as the protection afforded by Marcos Senna, who was dominant in a holding role just in the front of the back four.



Reliable rearguard – Carles Puyol (L) and Sergio Ramos

So it was that Spain, like Greece in 2004, managed to keep clean sheets in each of their three knockout matches on the way to securing the title. (Italy was the only other team to manage even one after the group stage, and that was in the quarterfinal against the Spain where the Azurri made its intention to play for penalties patently clear from the outset.) Safe in the knowledge that they would not have to worry about compensating for untimely mistakes at the back, Xavi, Silva and Co were free to focus their attention on exerting control at the other end, which they most clinically did against Russia and Germany – although they did eventually require spot-kicks to dispatch the doggedly disciplined Italians.





Outstanding – Marcos Senna


So while we hail the numerous artists to make their mark on Euro 2008, it’s worth pointing out that it was the team with the most effective artisans that claimed the glory in the end.


In fact, in a tournament that featured the likes of Silva, Xavi, Deco, Arshavin, Modric, and Sneijder, it says here that the 31-year-old Senna – whose immaculate tackling, tactical discipline, and thoughtful use of the ball created the platform for his more gifted teammates to express themselves – was the most outstanding player. Players like him won’t earn too many headlines (which is exactly how most people like it – just ask Greece) but in their own way are just as crucial to a successful team as the ones who fill the highlight reels and claim the big individual prizes.