Gentlemen are thin on the pitch in soccer today, but if anybody deserves the soubriquet of el caballero, it’s Vicente del Bosque, the coach of Spain’s national side. Going into the European Cup with a World Cup under his belt, and with Spain the favourites to win the tournament for the second consecutive time, Del Bosque, 61, displayed his typical understatement when describing his team’s chances, saying: “The important thing is not to lose a sense of modesty, that they continue being good guys and if they continue like that, everything can get better.” And better they got: progressing steadfastly through the tournament to trounce Italy 4-0 in the final on July 1 in Kiev. Del Bosque’s … [Read more...] about Profile: Spain’s gentlemanly football genius, Vicente del Bosque
Euro 2012
Why I no longer love Spain’s tiki-taka
“Since the Brazil team of 1970, I can’t remember a side that thrashed and thrilled in virtually all its games – the closest thing to that I have seen is this Spanish team.” (José Sámano, El País) When world and European champions Spain play Portugal for a place in the 2012 European Championship final on Wednesday night, part of me will be rooting for Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portuguese. And if I don’t punch the air when Andrés Iniesta (or one of the other seemingly countless pixie-like midfielders) scores Spain’s first goal, it’s because I’m bored of tiki-taka. First of all, I should explain that I deeply admire what Spain have achieved over the last four years. Having struggled for … [Read more...] about Why I no longer love Spain’s tiki-taka
Euro thriller against Croatia highlights Spain’s need for goals
It took a whole 88 minutes and a careful finish by Jesús Navas, but Spain have qualified from their group to advance to the quarterfinals and keep alive their dreams of winning three major international tournaments back-to-back. Just. The relief was palpable. Before the breakthrough came, with Italy winning against the Republic of Ireland in the tightly contested group, a Croatia goal would have sent the reigning European and world champions home. The Spanish TV commentators insisted that everything was fine and going according to plan, but a nation was biting its nails, hurling abuse at the screen and collectively holding its breath as Iker Casillas was forced to make two crucial … [Read more...] about Euro thriller against Croatia highlights Spain’s need for goals
Poland & Ukraine 2012 will advance the cause of extremism in Europe
The recently aired BBC documentary, ‘Euro 2012: Stadiums of Hate’ has sparked debate in Britain and elsewhere around the world regarding the safety of fans and players at the upcoming European Championships as well as the broader issue of whether Poland, and particularly Ukraine, should even be hosting Europe’s biggest sporting event at all. The documentary, part of the BBC’s Panorama series, captured chilling scenes of violence, anti-Semitism and racism at football stadiums in the host nations and served to highlight this distinctly seamy aspect of football culture in Eastern Europe. A criticism that has been made of the documentary in certain quarters is that it presents an excessively … [Read more...] about Poland & Ukraine 2012 will advance the cause of extremism in Europe