Spain arrived in Germany beneath the radar, with a sense they have been unnoticed. They go away not simply because the European champions — however with one other thrilling era with the potential to rule the world.
This was the Euros of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, two adolescents off the pitch who become gamebreakers in a contest that modified their lives endlessly. It was the competitors of Rodri, a Ballon d’Or contender within the making. However typically, it belongs to a crew who’ve been head and shoulders above everybody else.
Luis de la Fuente’s facet swept previous Germany, France and ultimately England — the three largest candidates to win the competitors — and none of them may complain.
Spain followers will keep in mind Euro 2024 as a result of it was not one other win: it was an sudden one. This squad was meant to be good, however not this good, and particularly not at this age. They’ve received seven video games out of seven. One of the best participant of the event, in addition to the perfect younger participant, have been Rodri and Yamal.
The Athletic has spoken to a number of individuals over the previous 4 weeks, many talking on situation of anonymity as they weren’t cleared to talk publicly on the time, to inform the within story of what their success has been constructed on. It contains…
- The management of Alvaro Morata
- The unnoticed expertise De la Fuente confirmed to the world
- How the gamers embraced the change of fashion
- The Yamal and Williams explosion
Morata — misunderstood however a ‘good captain’
Morata is fascinating. The 31-year-old striker has not been considered one of Spain’s standout performers, he scored one aim in seven video games, and it’s the one place De la Fuente would recognize an enchancment in.
However it’s not possible to analyse this Spain crew with out the determine of its captain — and the most-loved character within the dressing room.
“Media have given him and hold giving him a variety of stick… however I’m telling you: he’s the perfect bloke in that dressing room,” stated one individual conversant in the crew surroundings in Germany when requested about Morata.
“You would possibly suppose that’s how I’ll describe each participant now we have right here, however that’s not low cost reward. Belief me. An excellent captain, the right man for this group.”
Morata lifts the trophy as captain (Alex Grimm/Getty Photos)
Each issues are true. The quantity of strain Morata has needed to take care of during the last three main competitions for Spain has been virtually unprecedented. He was booed by his personal followers in March in a pleasant on the Santiago Bernabeu. “My children can’t perceive why followers are booing his dad,” he stated in Germany.
However contained in the dressing room, the place it issues most, the sensation is the alternative. “Morata is undoubtedly the participant who creates extra bonds contained in the group and one of many funniest guys. Each time he’s speaking, all of the younger guys take heed to him and his tales, he’s good,” stated Yamal earlier than the beginning of the competitors, to the shock of many followers.
He has been the guts of the bottom camp Spain set in Donaueschingen, a small city within the Black Forest. Other than having Yamal, Williams, Fermin Lopez or Alex Baena paying shut consideration to his tales, he has given golf courses to Marc Cucurella and Alex Remiro.
He was a poker companion for Dani Carvajal, Joselu, David Raya and Ayoze Perez. Earlier than the beginning of the competitors, he requested each participant to decide on a tune to placed on their Spotify playlist to have all tastes represented and he was the DJ of the dressing room. The tune La Potra Salvaje turned an anthem and was performed after each win as soon as the total squad was on the crew bus.
He has taken the diplomacy reins, too. Morata led the negotiations with the Spanish FA to outline the bonuses associated to performances. He wished an additional share of the overall bonus break up among the many employees that works every single day with them — from the equipment males to the media crew, from physiotherapists to the cooks.
Within the build-up to the ultimate, he was supposed to talk alongside the supervisor within the press convention. As an alternative, he requested the FA to place Jesus Navas in place, so the 38-year-old may announce he was retiring from the nationwide crew.
Morata stated in the course of the competitors that “he doesn’t really feel valued in Spain and typically you are feeling extra love from overseas”. He has been working with psychologists and after profitable the competitors, he confessed to nationwide TV, La 1, that two ex-Spanish gamers prevented him from retiring.
“If it had not been for Andres Iniesta and Bojan Krkic, I might not have performed this Euros. They’re the type of people who find themselves presents from life. They went by way of related conditions I’ve had right here. On the finish of the tunnel, there’s all the time gentle.”
This Euros turned Morata into the fourth-best goalscorer ever for Spain, with 36 targets in 80 video games. De la Fuente stated that, if he needed to reincarnate as a participant of his crew, it could be his captain.
He would possibly as effectively retire after this success, however Morata’s instance has had a deep impression — his mission accomplished.
De la who?
Declan Rice stated he didn’t know the Spanish supervisor earlier than this Euros and you’ll’t actually blame him for it — De la Fuente’s expertise at a membership degree is decreased, at its finest, to 2 failed initiatives in Spain’s third tier.
However on a global degree, it’s one other story. The 63-year-old has been part of Spain’s setup since 2013 — sufficient time to function in 5 main tournaments within the youth ranks. He turned champion in two and reached the semi-finals not less than in all of them. Regardless of Euro 2024 being his first expertise at a senior degree, he has delivered once more.
De la Fuente hugs Williams — whose partnership with Yamal has been key to Spain’s success (Odd Andersen/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
He created an pleasant surroundings across the crew relatively than preferring names cherished by the media, reminiscent of defender Sergio Ramos or Actual Madrid ahead Brahim Diaz, the latter ultimately opting to signify Morocco.
De la Fuente’s largest achievement has been passing on his expertise in knockout tournaments to a squad who’ve by no means regarded shocked by the largest stage.
“I’m totally satisfied that the gamers now we have listed here are the perfect now we have to win this. I might not change any of them,” he stated when he introduced his squad.
“Absolutely the precedence we had was to verify we discovered an excellent position distribution on the pitch. Let each participant know what we anticipated from them and present how they might make the distinction,” a member of the teaching employees says to The Athletic.
“We had a reasonably strong construction from earlier than the competitors. The gamers knew it. We knew them so effectively from youth ranks. All was set and we simply wanted to place the ball into the again of the web. As quickly because it occurred… it clicked.”
Spain’s dressing room knew few individuals have been tipping them for glory, however they’ve used that as motivation to show individuals fallacious.
“This era has a profitable mentality, proven from the youth ranks,” stated Mikel Merino earlier than the beginning of the event. “That is the largest of the pressures and what we set ourselves for. We don’t have a look at what’s stated on the skin.”
For all of the younger stars, the veterans performed a particular position, too. Navas was the one participant left from the 2008 Spanish golden era, led by Xavi Hernandez, Iker Casillas, Iniesta and Ramos.
Navas has been coping with a persistent hip damage for the final 4 seasons however, regardless of every little thing, he wished to be there. He was wanted to start out within the semi-final in opposition to France after Dani Carvajal was despatched off within the quarter-final win over Germany. He performed 58 minutes wherein he was capable of comprise Kylian Mbappe.
That very same evening, individuals briefed on the scenario say Navas couldn’t sleep because of the ache he was in along with his hip.
The instance he set to the youthful era in that crew relating to the values and dedication to defend the shirt, within the eyes of De la Fuente’s employees, is as treasured as any win they might get.
Spain have been satisfied they might go all the best way because of De la Fuente’s religion in them. When the remainder of the world realised that, it was too late to make them crumble.
Gamers embraced the brand new period
A 3-0 win in opposition to Croatia within the opening recreation revealed lots about Spain: the tiki-taka days have been gone. Spain had much less possession for the primary time in 136 aggressive matches — however deservedly received.
Changing into a flexible crew was the largest demand De la Fuente sought when he was appointed because the nationwide supervisor after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as reminiscences of the defeat on penalties to Morocco have been contemporary and poignant.
De la Fuente has concerned sure gamers inside the common management of the group — and listened to as a lot of them as attainable.
Significantly related was a second within the quarter-final in opposition to Germany. Throughout the second half, with the hosts pushing for an equaliser, Carvajal requested his supervisor to take Yamal off, because the German wing-backs have been inflicting issues and {the teenager} was struggling to maintain up with the monitoring again. De la Fuente agreed and Ferran Torres changed him within the 63rd minute.
One other of the gamers who has been listened to has been Rodri. The Manchester Metropolis midfielder believed that neutralising their opposition’s counter-attacks was essential if Spain wished to beat the perfect groups.
Rodri was named the perfect participant of the event (Javier Soriano/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
The prime instance arrived earlier than the last-four assembly with France. The crew had barely time to coach, as they wanted to get better health ranges, so De la Fuente centered on one side: counter-pressing after shedding the ball and guarding in opposition to counter-attacks.
De la Fuente believed the fundamentals of their fashion have been so well-processed by his gamers that he most well-liked to focus coaching on decreasing their weaknesses. The assistant supervisor and former La Liga participant, Pablo Amo, is among the names praised for his position in coaching.
“Due to the work Spanish academies are placing in, we imagine the Spanish footballers are those with the perfect decision-making on this planet,” a member of the teaching employees says.
“All gamers need to determine what each play requires and the execution that follows is generally proper. Understanding now we have that, for us it was solely to spice up it and attempt to right the issues we lacked essentially the most.
“We’re not right here to enhance our gamers as a result of we don’t have the time. If they’re right here, it’s as a result of they’re already so good at many issues. Our solely aim is to make our participant’s life in-game simpler. That’s how we plan.”
Yamal and Williams announce themselves to the world
For them, it began in Georgia within the qualifiers. It was September 2023 and De la Fuente had simply received the Nations League, however the strain on him had not pale utterly.
Spain clinched the trophy with two hard-fought wins, one in additional time and the opposite after penalties, in opposition to Italy and Croatia. Outcomes have been higher than emotions and there was loads of work to do. Their place on the Euros was not secured after a loss in Scotland.
Spain have been about to journey to face Georgia, a facet in opposition to whom that they had struggled to beat. De la Fuente opted to make use of a refreshing duo on the wings: Williams and Yamal performed collectively for the primary time. Spain received 7-1 and so they each scored.
Yamal and Williams share a second in Berlin on the closing whistle (Jewel SAMAD / AFP)
4 days later, Williams and Yamal began one other qualifier, in opposition to Cyprus — Spain received 6-0. Williams offered two assists, whereas Yamal’s craft blew everybody’s thoughts. That was the start of the partnership that lit up Euro 2024.
“That journey to Georgia is essential to understanding success,” says a member of the backroom employees. “It was a launch level. Stress was nonetheless round and the best way we performed helped us to imagine we have been heading in the right direction.”
The best way Yamal and Williams clicked on and off the pitch was past their wildest goals.
The wingers acquired to know one another in September final yr because of Barcelona and Spain full-back Alejandro Balde. Yamal and Williams have been quickly sharing rooms on worldwide obligation, filming TikToks and bolstering their chemistry on the pitch.
In Germany, the bromance saved going. Williams, 22, known as Yamal “his son” as he claimed “he nonetheless must be taught from the recommendation of his elder one”. {The teenager} would reply to his joke saying he utterly owned his counterpart once they confronted one another at EA FC24.
Williams was the person of the match within the closing in opposition to England; Yamal was the younger participant of the event. They’ve been concerned in eight targets within the event.
“They’re the brand new period,” a member of the Spanish FA informed The Athletic. They’ve turn out to be the indeniable favourites of each fan. They’re position fashions in a rustic the place coping with racism in sport has been debated repeatedly, two younger athletes from an immigrant background are displaying everybody what the true Spain seems like.
“They’re a continuing pleasure, they’ve added this to the crew” De la Fuente stated. “We’ve a mature squad, very skilled, after which these guys are so enjoyable to be with. They’ve fitted so effectively with the veterans, who took the contemporary air they introduced and revitalised themselves, too. Our extra senior gamers assist lots in guiding them. The trade and impression is basically optimistic.”
Now it will likely be time to take a look at their fast future — particularly within the case of Williams. Will Athletic Bilbao be capable to hold him? His £55million ($71.4m) launch clause will certainly be too tempting for prime European golf equipment…
Turning points into blessings
No one would imagine shedding a participant reminiscent of Pedri to damage could possibly be excellent news — but it surely turned out to open a door for Dani Olmo. The RB Leipzig attacking midfielder was not a starter however ended the Euro 2024 as the highest goalscorer with three targets. He got here on within the eighth minute in opposition to Germany after Pedri’s damage and took a starring position.
The moment options De la Fuente has discovered to the minor points that emerged all through the competitors have been a decisive issue of their success.
Olmo celebrates his semi-final winner in opposition to France (Alex Livesey/Getty Photos)
Nacho began in opposition to Croatia after a superb end-of-season at Actual Madrid as Aymeric Laporte was struggling some bodily discomfort. Then it was Nacho who was injured and reopened a door for Laporte to flourish as their finest centre-back.
De la Fuente had an enormous name to make on the left-back position. He opted for Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella in entrance of Alex Grimaldo, who starred for Bayer Leverkusen, and it was impressed.
“Generally we imagine we have to use the perfect gamers obtainable, but it surely’s extra necessary to make use of those that make your crew higher,” one individual with an understanding of the dressing room surroundings stated. Cucurella excelled defensively and his good cross arrange Mikel Oyarzabal to attain the winner within the closing.
Then there’s Fabian Ruiz. The 28-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was one of many starters with the bottom pedigree among the many group earlier than Euro 2024. He scored as soon as and laid on one other in opposition to Croatia and was a dominant midfielder all through the competitors.
Fabian was one of many stars of the event (Richard Pelham/Getty Photos)
There was an emergence of sudden heroes, too. Merino scored the winner in opposition to Germany in the identical stadium the place his dad scored for Osasuna again within the Nineties.
And Oyarzabal, the Actual Sociedad ahead who missed the final World Cup as a consequence of a critical knee damage, vindicated his restoration course of with the 86th-minute winner in opposition to England.
Soccer just isn’t meant to be a good sport, however Spain weren’t meant to be the perfect crew on this competitors.
(High photographs: Getty; Dan Mullan, Miguel Medina/AFP, Ina Fassbender/AFP; design: Dan Goldfarb)
