Posts Tagged ‘spain’

Iniesta: I never lost faith

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Spain hero Andres Iniesta claims he never lost faith in achieving FIFA World Cup™ success, despite a frustrating season with injuries and a bad start for Vicente del Bosque’s side in South Africa.

Iniesta, who scored the extra-time winner for Spain in the FIFA World Cup Final against Holland on Sunday, struggled for long periods last season with a thigh problem and only reappeared for Barcelona right at the end of the campaign. The midfielder then aggravated the injury in Spain’s friendly win over Poland before the start of the FIFA World Cup and was forced off once more as Del Bosque’s side went down 1-0 to Switzerland in their opening match in South Africa.

But the 26 year-old returned to play a key part in Spain’s first ever FIFA World Cup success and scored the crucial goal four minutes from the end of extra time on Sunday.

“I have always had faith and confidence. I had a lot of confidence in this team from the very first moment.” he said in a press conference organised by Nike in Barcelona on Tuesday.

“It has been a difficult season, hard for me in many ways, but there have also been moments of the season when I have felt good. It has simply been a hard season and nothing more. Then there was the World Cup and all of us were so excited and keen to play. I really hoped things would turn out well for me and after the first game, everything changed – the team recovered well and it ended up as we knew it could.”

Iniesta admits it is hard to describe the emotion he felt at having such a crucial hand in Spain’s “priceless” victory. “It’s hard to explain. All I can say is that I feel very happy, and to have scored such an important goal for everybody, to make millions of people happy – that is priceless,” he said. “A lot of people follow us and suffer with the national team, so to see them all so happy is priceless.”

“I have always had faith and confidence. I had a lot of confidence in this team from the very first moment.”

Andres Iniesta, Spain midfielder

Up until the weekend, Iniesta’s most famous goal had been an injury-time strike against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2009, which gave Barcelona passage to the UEFA Champions League final, where they beat Manchester United. And the midfielder is aware Sunday’s goal was much more important.

“Every situation has its feelings. The joy I felt that day against Chelsea was the maximum, the same as the other day, maximum joy. But there are only a few teams lucky enough to win the World Cup and it’s the biggest tournament there is,” he added.

After scoring his goal against Holland in Johannesburg, Iniesta peeled off his shirt to reveal a tribute to former Espanyol captain Dani Jarque, who passed away tragically from a heart attack last year at the age of 26. “It’s always been in my mind to pay tribute to him in some way,” Iniesta said.

“He was a footballer and the idea came about before the Final. [Spain team-mate] Fernando Llorente mentioned it to me because some of our team-mates were doing similar things with Antonio Puerta [who passed away from a heart condition in late 2007], or some other person they cared for who isn’t around anymore.

“And what a moment to pay tribute to such a great person and great friend like Dani. It was the best tribute in the best moment to make sure he remained with us.”

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Liverpool play down Torres injury

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Liverpool are hopeful that the groin injury suffered by Spanish striker Fernando Torres in Sunday’s 2010 FIFA World Cup final is not as serious as was first feared.

The 26-year-old, who missed the end of the 2009/10 season with a knee injury, suffered the injury just before the end of the 1-0 win over the Netherlands.

But Liverpool doctor Peter Brukner told the club’s website: “We’ve been in touch with the Spanish medical team and they don’t think it’s too serious. We can’t say too much more at the moment until it is properly assessed (on Tuesday.”

“At this stage we don’t think it’s too serious.”

Liverpool’s team doctor on Torres’ injury

He added: “Some of the Liverpool medical staff will go to Madrid later in the week to fully assess the injury and organise his rehab. At this stage we don’t think it’s too serious.

Torres has endured an injury-plagued season at Anfield although he finished as Liverpool’s top scorer with 22 goals in all competitions.

He suffered a groin injury late last year and underwent surgery on his right knee in January.  The striker returned to help Spain win the World Cup finals for the first time, but he did not score in the tournament and came on as a substitute in extra-time in the final.

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Spain greets World Cup heroes

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Spain’s FIFA World Cup™ winners enjoyed a heroes’ reception as jubilant supporters took to the streets of Madrid in their droves to welcome home Vicente Del Bosque’s history-makers today.

Spain, who last night claimed their first ever FIFA World Cup title after Andres Iniesta’s extra-time winner earned them a 1-0 final victory over Holland in Johannesburg, landed back in Madrid this afternoon before embarking on an evening of official celebrations and festivities.

Those celebrations included meeting members of the Royal Family and the Prime Minister before taking an open-top bus ride through the streets of the Spanish capital, where rows and rows of well-wishers – expected to number more than a million – had been waiting for hours to cheer the team on from the pavements and road.

Having landed at Madrid’s Barajas airport this afternoon, the squad were immediately taken to a hotel to eat and prepare before making their way to the Royal Palace, where they had a reception with King Juan Carlos.

With captain Iker Casillas cradling the FIFA World Cup trophy, the squad and team officials then made their way to the Moncloa section of the city, where they met Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Coach Del Bosque said at a brief presentation: “This cup, this triumph is for all of you, and for the whole Spanish football factory.”

The European and World champions then boarded an open-top bus before slowly making their way into the heart of the city, which last night saw hundreds of thousands of fans celebrate deep into the night after watching Spain’s historic victory on giant screens in Madrid’s main Paseo de Castellana and in bars and homes across the city.

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Global praise for Spanish champions

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Spain earned global media respect and praise on Monday for their 2010 FIFA World Cup™ triumph in a bruising Final against the Netherlands that added an eighth nation to the list of the tournament’s winners.

“Spain Reign The Game” said The Times of London with a front-page headline that spread Spain’s red and gold national flag across the top. “Campeon del Mundo”, declared the French sports daily L’Equipe.

“Spain cemented their position as the pre-eminent footballing nation of the era,” The Times said of the nation’s first World Cup win, which they added to their 2008 European Championship triumph. But newspapers around the world also highlighted the often brutal tactics used in the match played out in front of a television audience estimated at 700 million people. Spain prevailed “with great patience and an accustomed sense of drama” with the only goal by Andres Iniesta just for minutes from the end of extra time, said the New York Times which said the final “will be remembered more for meanness than splendour.”

“The Dutch intended to take Spain away from its graceful passing game. And they frequently did, sometimes with brutal intent. Still, Spain showed hardness of its own, becoming unnerved at times but never discouraged.” L’Equipe said the match was marked by “intimidation and destruction”, while China’s media congratulated Spain for its first-ever World Cup victory, but also took a few swipes at how the Final was played. “Fourteen yellows, one red — the most-ever in a final,” Sina.com, one of China’s top Internet portals, said in a headline on a story about the struggles of the referees at the World Cup.

The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia commented how Spain “held their nerve, their tempers and their discipline through 120 bruising minutes against a physically tough Dutch side who kicked, scrapped and tried — ultimately without success — to intimidate them from playing the possession football that has so entranced the football world during this tournament.”

Spain’s media was quite naturally delirious. “The national team has consolidated the leadership of a dazzling generation,” said the top-selling El Pais daily. The Dutch press expressed disappointment and sadness after the Netherlands’ third defeat in a World Cup Final. “The ‘Oranje’ cry,” said a headline in orange in the popular AD daily over a full-page photograph of Wesley Sneijder lying on the pitch, his face hidden in his arms. And the popular daily De Telegraf paid a glowing hommage to the team, saying they had fought “like lions”. “What will it take for the Netherlands to one day finally become champions of the world of football?” it asked.

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‘Crowning glory’ for Spain’s dazzling generation

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Spanish newspapers on Monday hailed the country’s victory in the FIFA World Cup™ as the crowning glory for a nation which has developed an insatiable appetite for sporting success.

“Champions of the world,” top-selling daily El Pais said on its front page above a photo of Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas holding the golden trophy above his head as he stood surrounded by his teammates in Johannesburg. “The national team has consolidated the leadership of a dazzling generation,” it added.

The newspaper described the 1-0 extra-time win over the Netherlands as the “epic which was missing from Spanish sports, which has lived in glory following a cascade of successes”. The victory came exactly a week after the Spaniard Rafael Nadal lifted the Wimbledon tennis trophy and caps a series of major sporting achievements, including a European title for the nation’s basketball team.

“It is the biggest success in the history of Spanish football, a title which when added to other no less relevant titles, places Spain in the leadership of the major world sports like basketball, tennis, cycling or motorcycle racing,” the right-wing ABC newspaper said in an editorial.

“From here to eternity,” wrote centre-right daily El Mundo on its front page. With four minutes from the final whistle, Andres Iniesta collected a pass from Cesc Fabregas to fire home from close range and win the FIFA World Cup, sparking all-night celebrations across Spain. “There aren’t the words to describe what I am feeling. After my goal, I thought about my family and all the people who I love. But the victory is the fruit of a lot of work,” the Barcelona midfielder said after the match.

Sports daily AS said on its front page that Iniesta “scored the most important goal in our history in the 116th minute”. Rival sports daily Marca said his goal “lifted Spanish football to the highest possible level”. Before Iniesta’s winning contribution, goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas had made two vital interventions to deny Arjen Robben in normal time in one-on-one situations.

Remarkably for a country whose domestic league has long been considered one of the strongest in the world, Spain, winners of the 2008 UEFA European Championship, have only once before been in touching distance of sport’s biggest prize. That was in 1950 in Brazil where they reached the final four of a tournament which, in the aftermath of the Second World War, was only able to attract 13 participants.

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Ramos crowned as La Roja conquer

Monday, July 12th, 2010

This has been a FIFA World Cup™ of firsts: the first on African soil, the first won by Spain and also the first to be assessed second-by-second using the Castrol Index. This innovative system has utilised advanced technology to objectively analyse and evaluate every single player movement, and tonight it crowned its very own FIFA World Cup king.

Its verdict? That Sergio Ramos, Spain’s daring and energetic right-back, has been the most influential and effective player on show over the past month. The Real Madrid star, an ever-present in the top 20 since the second round of group matches, went into the Final in pole position and retained his place in style. Indeed, Ramos emerged as the Castrol Performance Analysts’ man of the match, pipping team-mates Joan Capdevila, Iker Casillas and Andres Iniesta with a score of 9.64 that reflected his efforts at both ends of the field.

A couple of efforts on Maarten Stekelenburg’s goal reminded everyone of his attacking capabilities, but it is at the back – where the world and European champions restricted the Netherlands to precious few opportunities – that the Spain No15 and his team-mates once again excelled. Indeed, with Vicente Del Bosque’s side having conquered the world on the back of four straight clean sheets during the knockout stage, and just two goals conceded overall, it is no wonder that Ramos’s main challenge for the Index title came from his own defensive colleagues.

Sneijder the midfield master
La Roja, who scored just eight goals en route to the title – the fewest of any world champions in history – were heavily indebted to a back four in which Joan Capdevila, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique also excelled. In fact, only Philipp Lahm prevented this Spanish quartet taking places one, two, three and four in the Index, with Pique the man to drop into fifth due to his comparative lack of attacking involvement.

With David Villa – who leaves South Africa ranked by Castrol as the tournament’s leading striker – also recognised for his early heroics, Spain had kicked off at Soccer City with five players in the Castrol Index top ten to the Netherlands’ one. However, that sole Dutch representative, Wesley Sneijder, cemented his position with another stylish showing in the Final. Once again, the Inter Milan star was adjudged to be the Oranje’s top performer, and heads for home with the consolation of knowing that Castrol’s analysis has deemed him to be the tournament’s top midfielder.

Of course, the Final wasn’t the only match to influence the concluding Castrol Index of South Africa 2010. There was, after all, the small matter of that thrilling play-off for third place between Germany and Uruguay, a match that involved a clutch of potential contenders. Conspicuous by their absence, however, were two of the Index’s erstwhile leading lights: Philipp Lahm, the list’s one time leader, and Manuel Neuer, its top goalkeeper.

Nevertheless, while Lahm’s illness-enforced absence denied him the opportunity to return to the summit, he remained Germany’s highest-ranked player at fourth, while Neuer retained his pre-eminent position at the top of the goalkeeping list despite a late challenge from Casillas. The German duo were even able to gain ground in the Index as they ended the tournament with a superior average score to some of those involved in the last two fixtures.

Suarez outshines Forlan
Although an impressive showing in the third-place play-off was naturally not weighted as highly as a starring role in the Final, others also climbed, with adidas Golden Boot and Golden Ball winners Thomas Muller and Diego Forlan making major gains to enter the top ten and top 50 respectively.

Forlan would have considerably higher but for a poor pass completion rate, with the Uruguay star ranking 61st out of 71 forwards who attempted more than 50 passes. Attacking colleague Luis Suarez ultimately outranked him with an eighth-place finish, while credit should also go to Ghana’s John Pantsil and Paulo da Silva of Paraguay, both of whom finished in the top 20 despite exiting at the quarter-final stage.

There could only be one winner, however, and it was Ramos who took the inaugural honours, completing a fairy tale couple of years for both him and his trophy-laden team.

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Casillas: It hasn’t sunk in

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Spain captain Iker Casillas concedes it will take time for him and his team-mates to realise the magnitude of their FIFA World Cup™ victory after lifting the title at Soccer City last night. Vicente del Bosque’s team, who have been one of the biggest underachievers in the game’s history, capped a remarkable two years by adding the world title to their UEFA EURO 2008 triumph.

Andres Iniesta grabbed the only goal deep into in extra-time to break Dutch hearts and earn his team a place in history. “It’s a historic moment for Spanish football,” the Real Madrid goalkeeper said. “This achievement is something that we, the players, are still not aware of… what the significance really is. I think it’s something we will only realise over time.”

Casillas also walked away with the Golden Glove award, handed to the best goalkeeper in the competition, for his overall efforts in South Africa. The 29-year-old, a veteran of more than 100 caps, was mainly a spectator against the Dutch, but had to make two crucial saves from Arjen Robben either side of half-time.

“It’s a historic moment for Spanish football. I think it’s something we will only realise over time.”

Iker Casillas, Spain goalkeeper

He refused to take any individual plaudits, saying: “I’m not a saint, not at all. I have a lot of experience after putting in a lot. I have been gifted and have had lots of support from all my family and friends, so I am really overjoyed today.”

Casillas also hailed the team’s overall display at the finals, rating it even higher than the European success two years ago. He added: “It’s what we have dreamt of since we were children. It is truly a special time and certainly a much happier moment than when we won the European championships. We are now the world champions.

“It was not easy, but luckily we managed to win. We’ve earned this victory from beginning to end. It’s been almost 50 days of full concentration. That in itself is very complicated, very difficult and gives an idea of what this group has done.”

Netherlands midfielder Nigel de Jong felt his side were let down by their lack of cutting edge. Despite being overrun for most parts of the game, Robben missed a fine one-on-one chance, which eventually proved a turning point.

“It was a close game from both sides,” said De Jong. “We both created some very good chances and both knew that if they’d score first then they would win the game. So I think it was really balanced. Spain really have a good team, but so do we. As I said we created a lot of chances and you have to take your chances, that’s all.”

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Fabregas and Del Bosque in dreamland

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Cesc Fabregas has hailed an “historic moment” for Spain after helping them win their first FIFA World Cup™. The Arsenal midfielder created the only goal for Andres Iniesta in extra time against the Netherlands at Soccer City.

Fabregas has had to play a substitutes’ role all tournament – including in the Final – but revealed the conquest made up for all the frustration. “This is an historic moment for Spain and it may never be repeated - I dedicate this to my whole family.

“I was a bit down because I had not played as much as I had wanted, but in the end it has all been worth it.”

Cesc Fabregas

“I was a bit down because I had not played as much as I had wanted, but in the end it has all been worth it. The fans have been fantastic, the rock on which we base everything, and I hope in two years’ time we will have more joy at the EURO.”

Iniesta was naturally thrilled to have netted the winner. ”I had the opportunity to score that goal which was so important for my team, and it’s incredible,” he said. ”I’ve made a small contribution in a very tough game.

“Spain deserved to win this World Cup. It’s something we have to remember and enjoy, and we should feel very proud of everyone in this squad. The manner in which it happened, we gave everything. To win the World Cup, there are no words to describe it.”

Jarque tribute, Paul the popular
After he scored, Iniesta took off his shirt to reveal a T-shirt paying tribute to Dani Jarque, the Espanyol player who died after a heart attack in August. The T-shirt read ‘Dani Jarque is always with us’.

“I wanted to carry Dani Jarque with me and with my other team-mates,” Iniesta explained. “We wanted to feel his strength. We wanted to pay tribute to him in the world of football, and this was the best opportunity to do so.”

Spain’s triumph had been predicted by Paul, the psychic German octopus, and Iniesta added: “As for the octopus, what can I say? We won. The octopus will be very popular in Spain.”

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque paid tribute to the Netherlands. ”First of all, I should congratulate our opponents,” he said. ”They made it very difficult for us to play comfortably. It’s been a very intense match, and congratulations to them.

“The dressing room is delighted, ecstatic. But Spain, the country, deserves this triumph, this World Cup.”

Vicente Del Bosque

“Fabregas came on and we began to dominate. We had greater ball possession and depth in our game. We created chances for Cesc and David Villa, which we could have converted, but that’s the way football goes.

“The dressing room is delighted, ecstatic. But Spain, the country, deserves this triumph, this World Cup. This goes beyond sport. We have to celebrate. All the people have been behind us in Spain, and we’re delighted to reward them with this victory.”

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Xavi hails Spanish dream come true

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Spain midfielder Xavi described his country’s FIFA World Cup™ victory as a dream come true following their 1-0 defeat of the Netherlands at Soccer City.

Xavi’s club and country team-mate Andres Iniesta scored the only goal of the game four minutes before the end of extra time after a drab encounter as Spain added the world title to the European crown they won in Vienna two years ago. And having also won everything on offer in club football, Xavi now has a full set of international medals.

But being part of the first ever Spanish team to win the FIFA World Cup has topped the lot for the diminutive Barcelona man. “Now we have the trophy it’s difficult to put into words, it’s such an amazing feeling to have the trophy in my arms,” he said. “It’s a dream come true, especially to win both tournaments, it’s the reward for all the hard work we have put in so far.”

“Now we have the trophy it’s difficult to put into words, it’s such an amazing feeling to have the trophy in my arms.”

Spain midfielder Xavi

Match-winner Iniesta, who was also named man-of-the-match, was almost lost for words. “I can’t quite believe it yet. I had the chance to score such an important goal for my team, it’s simply incredible,” he said.

“It’s a small contribution in a match that was very tough, very rough, with all sorts of things happening on the pitch and I think we deserve it. We have to feel very proud of each of the members of this squad, from the first to the last.”

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas came on in the second half of normal time to give Spain extra impetus and it was his pass which created Iniesta’s goal. “It’s a great moment for me and for everyone Spanish, the players, the people. We are all very proud of this,” he said.

“We never thought we could make it and this is something special. When I came on, I was fired up. It is has been a difficult tournament for me and I didn’t get to play so much.

“Something inside me was telling me this was my chance. All my family wanted to come and be part of this, I had my chance and I am just very proud to be part of this. It has been a hard season, but now it doesn’t matter at all. This is one of the best moments of my life. Today we are living the dream.”

But there was also a tinge of sadness for Fabregas as he had to console club team-mate and Dutch forward Robin van Persie. “The first thing I had to do after the final whistle was go to Robin. Instead of celebrating with my friends, I wanted to talk to Robin, because I felt he deserved this as well.

“He has been injured a lot and if it wasn’t us he was playing against, it would have been different. But as happy as I was, I was also sad for him. He deserved it as well. He just told me congratulations and to enjoy the moment.

“I hope he has his chance again, because he is a great guy and a great leader. He has been really unlucky with injuries and I hope he can have his moment in four years or two years.”

However, Fabregas believes Van Persie may have to wait longer given the next generation of talent coming off the Spanish production line. “We have great players who are coming through and Spanish football is just growing,” he added. “This is the best thing which can happen to a football player. You can’t win something bigger.”

As for where he will be playing next season, Barcelona target Fabregas was ambiguous. “All I can say is that this is for all the Arsenal players and fans, they are a world-class club. I am an Arsenal player and I am proud to be.”

“It was sensational, an historic moment for Spanish football. We haven’t yet realised what we’ve done.”

Spain captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas

Before Iniesta’s winning contribution, goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas had made two vital interventions to deny Arjen Robben in normal time in one-on-one situations. “It was sensational, an historic moment for Spanish football. We haven’t yet realised what we’ve done,” said the Real Madrid stopper.

“We will after some time. It’s what we’ve wanted since we were little. It’s a special moment, much more moving than winning the European championship. It wasn’t easy but with luck we managed to win.”

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Dream celebrated, nightmare lamented

Monday, July 12th, 2010

“The dream has come true,” said the newspaper El Pais on its website as an exultant Spanish press hailed the country’s first ever FIFA World Cup™ triumph. The newspaper declared 11 July as “a historic day for Spanish sport”.

“Spain, Spain, Spain!” screamed the daily El Mundo. “This World Cup has crowned one of the best teams of all time.”

“Iniesta took us up into heaven,” said the sports daily Marca on the midfielder who scored the crucial extra-time goal that gave Spain a 1-0 win over the Netherlands. “We suffered, but it was worth it,” it said.

Another sports paper, AS, said “Spain deserved its victory against a Dutch team that never stopped pushing us throughout the match.”

‘The dream is over’
The Dutch media, meanwhile, reflected online on Sunday night on the “trauma” of the defeat by Spain which it said had plunged the country in “deep mourning”.

“Third trauma for Oranje,” read the lead story of the popular De Telegraaf daily, recalling the losses against Germany in 1974 and Argentina in 1978 on the only two other occasions the Netherlands contested the FIFA World Cup Final. “The World Cup in South Africa will enter Dutch history as the third football trauma,” it said.

Spain’s Andres Iniesta “plunged the team and the Netherlands into deep mourning” with his extra-time goal, said the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. “After a blood-curdling evening in Soccer City, the world title remained just out of reach of the Orange XI,” it added. “Spain were too good in the final, even it if only came to fruition in the second half of extra time.”

“The dream is over, the Netherlands did not become world champions,” said the public broadcaster NOS, next to a photograph of striker Wesley Sneijder seated on the ground with tears in his eyes.

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