Quick Comment: For Spain’s youthful group, Euro 2024 is just the start

A second Spanish revolution in world football is underway. There is an overwhelming belief that the Euro 2024 triumph is not the destination but the start of a bright and brave new Spanish era in football, that something even more magnificent is unfolding. Or rather, it feels like 2008 all over again, a team that could blossom into one of the greatest of all time, one that could replicate the all-conquering brilliance of the tiki taka generation. To presumptuous to speak, perhaps, but frightening is the talent at their disposal.

This is an even more youthful team, one built on the splendorous gifts of a 17-year-old and 21-year, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, symbols of a more multicultural Spain. Back in 2008, Xavi was 28, Iniesta 24. Whether they would scale the peaks of the midfield duo cannot be foreseen, but they have the talent and ambition. But the dream is on. As much as the goals, assists and match-winning turns they had produced, they embodied the prized technical excellence and imaginative expression that Spanish football stands for. Not just the flanksters, Spain had a rich array of talents across the field. Rodri is the crown in their jewel, as visionary as a modern midfield could be, Fabian Ruiz is a purring Ferrari when he wants to be.

Then, there were other lesser-known players who made the machine whirr, a beauteous machine if there was one. Mikel Oyarzabal in the final was one of them, so was Mikel Merino in the game against Germany. Not to forget the exceptional Dani Olmo, who scored in every knockout game minus the final, who would have started but for an injury to Pedri. Or centre-backs Robin Le Normand and Aymeric Laporte, both left-field choices, or Marc Cucurella, who assisted the most famous Spanish goal of the decade so far, or the body-flinging resolve of Dani Carvajal. Befitting its unselfishness and depth, Spain had ten different goal-scorers this tournament.

Beneath the silk, there are layers of steel too; beyond the talent this is also an extremely competitive group. And that’s the unshakeable foundation of dynastic teams. Iniesta and Xavi had Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Marcos Senna and Sergio Ramos too.

🇪🇸 Spain are champions of Europe 🏆#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/Ch0AF0iPWl

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 14, 2024

Therein lies a wonderful paradox—it was a victory of both the collective and individual, a fusion of highly talented individuals performing at their peak in the framework of the collective, a dynamic organism, each element breathing adventure and intelligence. Few sides have had such a concise identity. Another irony is that some of their guiding philosophies in this tournament were antithetical to the ideals of the Spanish game. Like the existence of conventional wingers, the predilection for long passes and the general verticality and directness. But the genius resides in how the coach and players wove those new elements into the old template without disrupting the core value of passing, pressing and aesthetics. The shift in style might not be as earth-shattering as the tiki taka, but its polish and refinement evoke a similar vibe. That said, the tactics are not dogmatically rigid, but flexible, and accommodative of tweaks on the go.

In short, Spain exemplified all that made this tournament delightful, and would be remembered as a side who engaged both the brain and the soul, winning both love and respect, was a breath of air amidst cautious tournament football. There were groups that had been together for a decade, with the same nucleus and coach, yet none could produce the cohesiveness of Spain. It’s a different Spain, but one as glorious to behold as the batch of 2008. And the boys could already be looking to the future.

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