Third final

The longer and more stony is the way you enjoy what lies on arrival, and the journey through the wilderness of the Spanish team since winning Euro 1964 was long and isolated oasis of happiness just soccer. But if we had known what awaited us at the end of so many disappointments, so many almost as many quarter-finals, we would not have mattered if we had known we were going to win a European Championship two years later would get up a World Cup and two years later go back to the European final tournament selections. The road was long and difficult but the reward was worth it.

What touches me started back in the 1994 World Cup, the goal by Goikoetxea of Germany, the magnificent performance of Caminero, the elimination of the crude to Italy in the quarter, the failure of Salinas, Baggio's goal, Tassotti's elbow. Two years later, in the European Championship in England, it seemed that that generation was able to give us joy, but the hostess crossed rooms to eliminate us on penalties. The debacle of 1998, represented in the error against Nigeria Zubizarreta, Raul's penalty in 2000 against France, Al-Ghandour, Helguera's anger and leathery Korea in 2002, removing the group stage in 2004 before which later would be the finalists, Portugal and Greece ...

In 2006 we were again removed by a France that seemed to retirement by Germany, but in that world was already brewing something that would forever change the history of our football. Luis Aragones was already there with Xavi, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Casillas, Villa, Cesc, Torres, Reina, Puyol, Sergio Ramos, Senna, Marchena ... a young group began to meet and which today remains largely Based on this selection has reached the top. A selection that would make the long history of trouble in anecdotes of a difficult road.

After beating Italy in the dreaded quarterfinals barrier defeated Germany in the final of the Ernst Happel in Vienna. There would be best may rival the Mannschaft, representing the quintessential victory to give the highest possible luster to the title of the selection that was the first for many fans. Then come the World Cup, soccer top, defeating the Netherlands, without as many victories as Germany but with a great history and a good team led by Sneijder and Robben. Today we have Italy, another opponent of substance, of those who only respect off the shirt. And at the end of the Euro have less than us, but will be a tough company to avoid the tie.

There are those distant days when football, despite being the most popular sport in Spain, was the ugly duckling of our representatives, despite the success of our clubs. The five Tours of Indurain, the triumphs of our players, first Bruguera, Moya and Ferrero, after the first win in the Davis and later Nadal destroying all records, the Crivillé, Pedrosa and Lorenzo on the bikes, Sastre and Contador again in cycling, basketball team, with Gasol and company making the World Cup water polo, handball ... until Fernando Alonso could the world bichampionship in a sport with so little tradition in Spain and the F1.

What about football? We won in all but what most fans congregated, and were beginning to resign ourselves to that in 2008 the selection of Luis Aragones Spain lifted from his seat to take to the streets to celebrate what seemed would never come. Four years later, with a World Cup at stake, we return to that end. This time in Kiev, with different feelings, knowing ourselves at the top, as the team to beat, but do not forget to Salinas, Zubi, Raul or Helguera: enjoy the final without forgetting the road that led us here. And this is not the end of the road.

Photo | FIFA