Spain News

MADRID - In an ominous sign for their rivals for an Olympic soccer medal, Spain's coach Luis Milla says his team at the London Games will be a richly talented and well-drilled outfit with the same roots and playing style as the nation's all-conquering senior side.

The Spanish have swept to back-to-back European titles with a first World Cup triumph in between by honing the style of fast-flowing, possession-based football known as "tiki-taka" to something close to perfection.

Many of the young players who will feature for the Iberian nation at the London Games, where Spain will make their first appearance in the football competition in 12 years, are products of the same youth academies that spawned Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Iker Casillas and Fernando Torres.

In an interview with Reuters at the Olympic team's training base outside Madrid on Monday (Tuesday, PHL time), Milla said he was benefiting from the work done in youth schools from the richest La Liga clubs such as Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao down to those in lower leagues.

"It's our very good fortune that the clubs are doing fantastic work in their academies, from the most modest up to the first division," said Milla, a former Barca and Real Madrid midfielder who led a Spanish side featuring many of the Olympic squad to a European under-21 title last year.

"We coaches have to adapt to the already established profile of the players and do things in a similar way to the senior side," added the 46-year-old.

"That means understanding the dynamic of the game, trying to impose absolute domination, trying to dominate the ball."

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Soccer Capsules: Spain looks to wins soccer gold at London Games

MADRID (AP) — Spain wants to follow up its European Championship victory with soccer gold at the London Olympics.

The World Cup champions won an unprecedented third straight major title on Sunday after defeating Italy in the Euro 2012 in the final in Kiev, Ukraine. That triumph in Kiev, Ukraine, is providing extra incentive for the Olympic squad.

"It would be nice to (win the games) after all they have achieved," said Spain forward Iker Muniain on Friday as the squad prepared for the Olympics that run July 27 to Aug. 13. "We're starting an adventure that we're very motivated to get started on and finish with a medal."

If Spain manages to win men's Olympic final Aug. 11 at Wembley Stadium, it would become only the fourth team to hold both the World Cup and an Olympic title simultaneously after Uruguay, Italy and West Germany.

"We're young and we'll go into the competition with the same motivation as them," said Spain goalkeeper David de Gea, adding that their triumphs put them under pressure to at least reach the Olympic final.

"They achieved something historic and there are a lot of expectations on us now but it won't be as easy as people think," de Gea said. "There are a lot of games, so we just have to take it game-by-game, see how strong our rivals are and hopefully get to the final."

Spain coach Luis Milla said the Euro 2012 victory is a great source of inspiration for his players on the Olympic squad that includes three players from the winning team — Juan Mata, Javi Martinez and Jordi Alba stayed on for Poland and Ukraine.

Milla called Real Sociedad midfielder Asier Illarramendi to replace injured Barcelona player Thiago Alcantara for the games. The creative midfielder has been a regular in Barcelona's team and had helped Spain win the European Under-21 championship last summer to qualify for the games. Milla said Illarramendi is a good replacement.

"We've got to change our thinking now, there are other players here now," Milla said.

Spain's preparations include pre-Olympics exhibitions against Senegal on July 13 and Mexico on July 18. The team will then travel to Glasgow to open its Olympic campaign against Japan July 26. Honduras and Morocco are Spain's other opponents Group D.

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Barcelona Transfer News: Jordi Alba Will Help Catalan Club Win La Liga Next Year

he signing of Jordia Alba will help Barcelona regain the throne of Spanish football and win La Liga next season. The Catalan club was not able to win its fourth consecutive league title last season as rivals Real Madrid won their first crown since 2008.
Dale Johnson of ESPN shares the details of Alba's transfer:

Barcelona sign left back Jordi Alba from Valencia for €14 million on a 5-year contract. #fcb
— Dale Johnson (@dalejohnsonESPN) June 28, 2012

Alba's arrival to the Nou Camp will address the weakest position in the Barcelona starting XI over the last several years: left back.


While center backs Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, and right back Dani Alves have all played exceptionally well for Barcelona throughout their careers, the left back position has been an area of weakness in the club's defense.
Since Eric Abidal's future with the club is uncertain because of health issues, and other left backs such as Maxwell and Adriano have been disappointments, Barcelona had to find another left back in the summer transfer window.
Alba will give Barcelona a consistently strong presence at left back, one that will benefit them greatly next year. His ability to defend the best attacking wingers in the world is perfect for the Barca back line. His pace will also bring another strength to the left back position that the club hasn't had in some time.


Alba will also play a major role in the already impressive Barcelona attack. We saw in the Euro 2012 final against Italy that Alba can also score goals, which isn't too much of a surprise given his experience as a midfielder.
With a complete defender upgrading their weakest position, Barcelona will enter 2012-13 stronger than they were last season, which will help them recapture the La Liga crown. They will certainly be the favorites for the league title heading into next season.

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Spain has eyes set on going down as greatest team

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Spain has taken its place among soccer's great teams by becoming the first nation to successfully defend its European Championship after winning the World Cup. The task, now, is to be remembered as the greatest.

La Furia Roja now turns its attention to retaining its world title at the 2014 tournament in Brazil, hoping to become the first team to win consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
"The bar has been set very high," midfielder Xavi Hernandez said after Sunday's 4-0 rout of Italy, the largest margin in a European or World Cup final. "The expectations are high. Now everyone will expect us to always triumph, and it's better that way. Before it was more difficult."

The Spaniards improved with every game during a three-week tournament in which they were at times criticized for being boring for playing possession-based soccer and starting some matches with six midfielders instead of an accomplished forward.

Spain won the Euros four years ago under Luis Aragones for its first major title since the 1964 tournament, earning praise of its free-flowing style. Its quick-touch "tiki taka" flair continued when Vicente del Bosque took over.

Del Bosque became just the second coach after West Germany's Helmut Schoen to win European and world titles. The former Real Madrid coach was criticized for playing without a traditional striker and relying on Andres Iniesta, David Silva and Cesc Fabregas up front.

Spain neutralized opponents through possession, with its heavy passing game foes. And the defense has been as reliable — Spain has outscored opponents 14-0 in 10 knockout round games en route to the three times.

"What we do is difficult but we make it look easy. It wasn't a walk in the park," goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas said. "We won being true to our playing style, and by moving the ball, the we way we moved it we knew how to take charge of the match."

Since that European Championship triumph in Vienna four years ago, Spain became the first team to win 15 straight competitive fixtures and matched Brazil's record 35-game unbeaten run from the 1990s. Spain finished qualifying for the last two major tournaments perfect and is unbeaten in 20 straight official games since losing its 2010 World Cup opener against Switzerland.

West Germany and France are the previous World Cup champions who failed to win that coveted third straight trophy.
Spain's next task will certainly be its biggest test as it will have to win in 2014 in Brazil, a nation that has won five World Cups and produced arguably the greatest national team ever. And the 2014 tournament could feature Spain going against Argentina and Lionel Messi — teammate of many Spanish players on Barcelona.

"Our performance was complete," Iniesta said. "I never could have imagined this."

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Spain erupts in joy after historic Euro 2012 win Read more: Spain erupts in joy after historic Euro 2012 win - Latest - New Straits Times

MADRID: Spaniards blasted off fireworks and jumped for joy after their football team won the European Championship on Sunday night, giving the country a burst of national pride and temporary relief from the crushing economic woes that have engulfed the nation.

Spanish players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Euro 2012 football championships final match Spain vs Italy on July 1, 2012 at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev. -- AFP PHOTO

Tens of thousands gathered in central Madrid to watch their team beat Italy 4-0 and shout out “Gol!” more times than they thought possible. Even better for Spain, the country’s team became the first ever to win a Euro, then a World Cup and then another Euro.

   

Spain needed “this win to counteract the suffering caused by the crisis, which seems endless,” a smiling Antonio Ferrillo said in downtown Madrid.

   

The country has the highest unemployment rate in the 17-nation eurozone, is immersed in a deepening recession and recently asked for a bailout to prop up banks that could go broke after a decade-long property boom crashed.

   

After the triumph, cars drove by with passengers waving the country’s red and yellow flag and yelling “Espana!, Espana!” and “I am Spanish! I am Spanish!”

 
 

But the victory gave Spaniards undisputed proof their team is the best in the world, setting off wild celebrations that went past midnight in all corners of the country.

“This is the best thing in the world that could happen,” Vanesa Galilea, a 32-year-old civil servant, said as she danced with friends and thousands more in Madrid’s central Cibeles square. “This generation of footballers is incredible.”

She added: “Tonight everyone can forget about the crisis, but it won’t disappear, unfortunately. Economically this won’t change anything but at least we will be happy for a while. Half of Spain won’t show up at work tomorrow, that’s for sure!”

Daniel Garcia, a 23-year-old university student, said the result made him proud to be Spanish and hopeful that he may find a job amid dire prospects, with one out of every four Spaniards jobless and the unemployment rate hitting 52 percent for people like him who are under age 25.

“It will be difficult, but maybe this will help raise our spirits and get us out of this crisis,” Garcia said.

Crowds hugged each other, cried and danced with glee after they watched Spain win on a huge screen erected outside the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the home of the Real Madrid club team.

“This is very important for Spain and if it brings the risk premium down tomorrow, all the better,”’ Adrian Barajas, a 35-year-old bank clerk, referring to the skyrocketing risk premium level for Spanish government debt that has raised fears the nation may soon need a full-blown public finances bailout like those accepted by Greece, Portugal and Ireland.

Sunday’s stunning victory “will raise morale for sure, but for three days, no more,” Barajas said. “Spaniards realize this is just football.”

  

Crown Prince Felipe called the win a “joy for Spain” and said he hoped Spaniards would “enjoy what they deserve.”

“Italy is a very competitive team that never gives up. But when we got the third goal and the Italians had their setback with their injured player, comeback was impossible for them,” he told Spain’s Telecinco television network after watching the game from the VIP section in Kiev, Ukraine.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who sat near Prince Felipe during the game, said he hoped the victory would give “comfort” to Spaniards who have been enduring waves of painful austerity measures enacted by his administration. The government has raised taxes, made it cheaper for companies to fire workers and reduced funding for the country’s cherished national health care and public education systems.

“We’re human beings, we have our problems,” Rajoy told Telecinco. “Feelings and joy, and everything that comes out of the soul, is beautiful. We have to thank the team and their coaches, they did very well.”  -- AP

 

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