State of Spain: Purring La Roja Ideally Placed to Defend Crown at Euro 2016

The cover of Marca said it all: “That is how champions play.” It was the morning after the most dazzling display of Euro 2016 to date, a proper fiesta of football, and a familiar realisation was setting in: They’re the favourites. Yeah, them. Again. The night before, after a week of largely unconvincing performances from Europe’s heavyweights, Spain had sparkled at the Stade... 

Dazzling Spain Establish Themselves as Euro 2016 Favourites with Turkey Win

It’s only ever been them who could play like this. The question was whether they still had this in them. That question has now been answered. On Friday night, Euro 2016 was treated to its most dazzling performance thus far as Spain cruised past Turkey, 3-0, at the Stade de Nice, playing like this—with artistry and devastation, with joy and genius, as only they can.   For a night,... 

Spain’s Steady Euro 2016 Start Can Be Accelerated by Subtle Alterations

The whistle blew, the three points were theirs and thoughts everywhere were the same: We’ve seen that one before.  On Monday, Spain opened their Euro 2016 campaign in Toulouse, France, with an absolutely-dominant-everywhere-but-the-scoreboard 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic. In tune with their recent history, it was the most familiar of contests and the most familiar of scorelines. Throughout,... 

Euro 2016: Gerard Pique Lifts the Clouds over Spain, the Country He Divides

Gerard Pique rose, nodded home and then trotted over toward the advertising hoardings, a look of defiance spread across his face. Quickly on his back was him; right in his gaze deliriously roaring for him was them. The public slanging match? Forgotten.  The whistles? Gone.  The shaming? Shelved. For now, anyway.  These have been 12 strange, senseless and contradictory months that have... 

Resurgent Andres Iniesta Primed to Lead Spain Through Euro 2016

Thirteen minutes were up on the clock, and Andres Iniesta had retreated into his own half at the Camp Nou. Receiving the ball from Javier Mascherano, he was in the most delicate of spots: 80 yards from goal, isolated, being closed down and with his back to nearly all his team-mates.   In so many ways, it was a turning point. Immediately, Iniesta spun in a flash. Right there, no one could have... 

Alvaro Morata and Aritz Aduriz: Breaking Down Spain’s Euro 2016 Striking Options

Spain and their strikers: Around major tournaments in recent years, it’s been one of international football’s topics of intrigue, and ahead of Euro 2016, it’s no different.  In Alvaro Morata and Aritz Aduriz, Spain enter this summer’s UEFA European Championship in France with an interesting blend of striking qualities. Morata is the likely first choice who brings pace and... 

Spain’s Iker Casillas-David De Gea Duel Reflects Team’s Position Amid Evolution

Letting go is hard. Spain and Vicente del Bosque are proving it.  It was late on Tuesday night in southern Madrid when David De Gea arrived in the press room at Getafe’s Coliseum Alfonso Perez. He and his Spanish team-mates had just been beaten 1-0 by Georgia—the 137th-ranked side in the world—in the team’s final warm-up game ahead of Euro 2016, and he’d conceded... 

Spain Should Test Aduriz and Morata in 2-Striker Systems in Friendly vs. Georgia

There’s something you can do when you have two strikers: play them both. Together. And on Wednesday, that’s precisely what Spain manager Vicente del Bosque did.  For the final 30 minutes of his side’s 6-1 friendly victory over South Korea ahead of Euro 2016, Del Bosque introduced Aritz Aduriz to play alongside Alvaro Morata and shift to a two-striker system. For La Roja, such... 

Free-Spirited Nolito Entering Euro 2016 as Spain’s Surprise New Weapon

Two weeks ago he was a relative afterthought, and just two days ago he was still only an outside chance. But right now, Nolito is working in twos, and twos change things.  Wearing a shirt emblazoned with two twos, Nolito has put together two two-goal performances in just two games to storm into the reckoning for Spain’s starting XI for the beginning of Euro 2016. On Wednesday, the Celta... 

Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin Storms into Spain’s Euro 2016 Squad with Typical Speed

Hector Bellerin is fast. At everything.  Along a right flank on football pitches across England, there is nobody faster. Over 40 metres, he holds the record sprint time at Arsenal and is thought to be quicker over that distance than Usain Bolt. In the Premier League, he’s gone from second-stringer to member of the Professional Footballers’ Association Team of the Year in 18 months.  And... 

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