Spain football

2007–13

The Spanish side of this era was statistically the most successful national team in football history. Their winning record (85 per cent) eclipses that of the 1950s Hungarians, the 1970s West Germans and even the great Brazilians of 1958-70 who won three World Cups (they won 67 per cent of games in this period). It ’s an achievement Spanish fans probably never thought they'd see, given the national side were considered football’s

Euro champs 2008 2012

great underachievers.

Luis Aragonés took over after the 2006 World Cup, when they were ousted in the second round, and realised Spain couldn’t outmuscle teams so needed to find another way to bring success. He employed a system of trying to monopolise possession — later known as tiki-taka — by rapid movement and intricate passing.

It worked. They won Euro 2008, beating Germany 1- 0 in the final, and then became the first European side to win the World Cup outside of Europe with a 1- 0 extra time

World champs 2010

defeat of the Netherlands in South Africa in 2010.

The juggernaut continued through to Euro 2012, when Spain hammered Italy 4- 0 in the final, becoming the first international side to win three consecutive major titles and first to retain the European Championships.