Spain-modern home of football

After taking charge, coach Luis de la Fuente wanted to build a new house, one predicated on playing fast, fun football with little emphasis on possession. The strategy paid off

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

FOOTBALL did go home on Sunday night. At least to its modern home. Spain.

Real Madrid are the current holders of the Champions League. Between 2009 and 2019, the Ballon d'Or winners came exclusively from La Liga. Pep Guardiola's influence on the world of football is so vast clubs lower down the pyramid have tried to put in place a more modern ideology. Goalkeepers everywhere are encouraged to pass it out from the back. Kylian Mbappe, widely recognised as one of the world's best players in the game today, is moving to Spain. There is Guardiola's blueprint wherever you look-Mikel Arteta is at Arsenal, Enzo Maresa at Chelsea, Eric ten Haag at Manchester United, Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich and Xavi Hernandez, who called Barcelona home till May. They have all played or learned the grammar of coaching under him. Out of the 52 players who either featured or were on the bench for the final, the guardian had made the point that 27 were coached by a Spanish manager at club level immediately before the start of the European Championship. In the 16 years since the Euros in 2008, the country has lost a grand total of one match in normal time in the knockout stages of a big event (against Italy in 2016). Since 2002, there have been 27 instances of a men's Spanish team in a big (World Cup, Euros, Champions League and Europa League) final. Spanish sides have won on all occasions.

On the basis of this performance against England, the Iberians will continue to have other sides chasing their shadows. Now, they are the sole leaders in terms of Euros with four.