Aragones: Spain “As Good as the Best”

December 4th, 2007 | by: Daryl |

Aragones feeling confident Luis Aragones may look grumpy, but he’s feeling confident. He thinks his Spain team are ready to go all the way at Euro 2008 after failing to fulfill their potential in recent tournaments. Here’s what he told sports paper Marca today:

“Until now teams like Italy, France, Brazil and Argentina have been better than us, but every day Spain are closing on them. I think we are closer (to winning a major title). Of course we have a chance to win Euro 2008 but to do that we have to know how to compete well. I now have the experience from the World Cup and also I think we are as good as the best and just need that little slice of luck.

There’s no doubt he has the players to do it. So, not for the first time, we ask: are Spain finally ready to deliver?

Certainly with players like Cesc Fàbregas, Joaquín, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernández and others they have a fearsomely talented midfield, while up front they can choose from Fernando Torres, David Villa, Raúl Tamudo, Fernando Morientes, José Antonio Reyes and a suddenly back in form Raúl (who’s currently top scorer in the Primera Liga.) Spain have an embarrassment of riches going forward. The defence isn’t quite as well stocked but Carlos Puyol is still one tough mutha and young Sergio Ramos is maturing nicely. Failing that there’s still Iker Casillas blocking the path to goal for opposition strikers.

The Guardian’s Spanish correspondent Sid Lowe believes Spain’s biggest problem is that they always half-expect to disappoint just because it’s happened so many times before. So when things start to go even slightly wrong the players all think “here we go again.” So maybe Aragones announcement may be just what they need to instill some confidence and the belief that they are as good as any other team in Europe and stand a very real chance of winning Euro 2008.

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Phil

Here is what is going to happen: Spain is going to fly through the first round with 9 points and a +10 goal difference. In the quarter-finals they’ll meet either Italy or France and although they will play the better game, they will lose in the most heartbreaking way possible.

You see, Spain has a sort of psychological “block”. They don’t know HOW to win. I don’t care if they show up with a team of world-beaters or if on paper they have the top 20 players in the world. Makes no difference against teams who know how to win… Germany and Italy are the prime examples of this kind of team… how good they are makes no difference, they will still beat you.
kasets

I have alway’s been surprised that Spain performs below par at WC and Euro’s considering how talented they are. Can anyone from Spain (maybe you Phil) tell me what the people, press and players feel?

Also any young players to look out for the Euro?
Phil

Actually, I am not a Spaniard, I am French :)

But I think the article is spot-on saying the players have this baggage that makes them say “here we go again” and give up. When is the last time a Spanish team came back from a deficit in a big match? The only one I can recall is at Euro 2000 against Serbia in the first round, which allowed them to progress to the quarter-finals, in which Raul botched a penalty in the waining moments that would have tied the match. In the match against France in 2006, they took a 1-0 lead on a dubious penalty but once Ribery scored his incredible equalizer, you could tell they were already beaten. They simply expected to lose.