End of Euro 2012: a work for eternity – Sports Finding

On Jul 19, 2020

The Organization itself, UEFA, like all participating teams, yielded to the evidence. Never in the history of a World Championship or Eurocup final has the champion won with so much credit and for such a difference in goals. “La Roja was elevated to football royalty: the first team to retain the Euro Cup, the first team to win three consecutive international titles, and Vicente del Bosque, the first coach to win the Champions League, the World Cup and the Euro Cup.”

The Kiev final was the perfect play. A party for eternity. The culmination of a generation of footballers and the definitive proclamation of a style of play. If the entire Championship had been good, the last game, the final was an exhibition in the broadest sense of the word.

Antonio Di Natale beats Iker Casillas during the group stage match at the PGE Arena in Gdansk.
TONY GENTILE (REUTERS)

Spain had never won a match against Italy in a World Cup or in a Euro Cup. He had only managed to claim victory in the penalty shootout in 2008. In fact, in this same tournament, in the first match, Del Bosque’s team suffered to tie after the Azzurri took the lead. Precisely that was the only goal received in the entire competition.

Vicente del Bosque analyzes the game

There is nothing better than analyzing, gutting, that final with the coach, the man who was able to sign the trilogy that Luis Aragonés started four years earlier. Now the works were complete.

“That final was the best game of all my time because of what it meant, because we played well and because at all times we did what we wanted to do. I don’t forget a game against Belgium in La Coruña (5-0) and another one in Bosnia (2-5) in 2009… But of course that was a final and it had much more echo ”.

The eleven of Spain against Italy. Standing, Casillas, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos, Busquets and Piqué. Crouched: Silva, Iniesta, Fábregas, Xavi, Arbeloa and Jordi Alba.
JUAN FLOR (DAILY AS)

“I didn’t want to have people ahead of the ball and I wanted to cover Pirlo”

Vicente del Bosque

The coach decided that ‘on the day of truth’ they would play the same as in the first match of the Championship, also against Italy. The rival, however, did make changes and even changed systems. In the premiere he had played with three centrals, with De Rossi between Bonucci and Chiellini. Now Prandelli was betting on 1-4-4-2.

“Repeating eleven had an explanation. He wanted Cesc to keep an eye on Pirlo. They always went out there. Short or long, but by that player. I am sure that if I had taken Torres, I would have covered him just as or more intensely, but I liked the team with that configuration because it dominated and controlled the game more ”.

Vicente reveals that this eleven really played in such a way that it seemed that he had ten midfielders. “We didn’t want to have people ahead of the ball. We handled it and looked for the final pass, the final pass. The wingers, Arbeloa and Jordi Alba, with the ball, were open midfielders. The two…