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Spain soccer team return to heroes welcome

The streets of Madrid were filled with celebrations as Spain’s triumphant football team returned home with the Euro 2012 trophy from Ukraine.

Following their impressive 4-0 victory against Italy in Kiev on Sunday night, the Spanish squad arrived back on Monday afternoon to a festive welcome in the capital.

Cesc Fabregas shared his excitement from the parade, tweeting: ‘I can’t describe what we are feeling right now.. Thank you so much!’

During the presentation, Fabregas offered a message to Spain’s competitors.

‘Many believed we would decline after winning the Euros and the World Cup,’ he remarked. ‘They assumed we might take it easier, but look at us now.’

‘Nobody has achieved the triple before, and we take great pride in that. We are fortunate to have experienced so much at a young age.’

‘We hope that these experiences, along with our current success, will make us stronger in the future.’

Fabregas played a crucial role in Spain’s achievements, albeit in an unexpected capacity.

Traditionally a midfielder at Arsenal, in Poland and Ukraine, coach Vicente Del Bosque identified a new role for the 25-year-old.

In a setup that lacked a striker, Fabregas was designated as a ‘false nine’.

‘This was the first tournament where I played as a forward,’ the Barcelona player said.

‘Although it was challenging initially, I adapted well and am incredibly proud of this experience.’

Afterward, they attended a welcome celebration with Spanish King Juan Carlos at La Zarzuela Palace before heading onto the streets in an open-top bus for a jubilant parade.

Thanks to their monumental win on Sunday, Spain became the first nation to secure three major trophies consecutively.

Fernando Torres believes that Spain has set a benchmark for future international achievements.

Spain reign… in numbers

20 – Competitive matches since their last defeat.
29 – European Championship matches unbeaten since losing 2-0 to Sweden in a qualifier in October 2006.
8 – The number of Spanish players who have participated in two European Championship final triumphs – Iker Casillas, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos, and David Silva.
79 – International clean sheets for Casillas, who has prevailed in 100 of his 137 games representing his country.
513 – Minutes elapsed since Casillas last let in a goal, during the 1-1 Group C draw against Italy on June 10.
189 – The total minutes Torres spent on the pitch at the finals.
63 – The average minutes Torres required to score each of his three goals.
3,946 – Total passes completed at Euro 2012.
620 – Total passes attempted by Xavi.
531 – Total passes successfully completed by Xavi, achieving an impressive success rate of 86%.

Del Bosque’s squad dismantled Italy in the Euro 2012 final in Kiev last night, becoming the first team to clinch three consecutive major international titles, including the World Cup.

Torres, who came off the bench, netted the third goal in a commanding 4-0 victory as Spain secured yet another European championship title following their triumphs in Euro 2008 and World.In 2010, the Cup was crowned.

The Chelsea striker shared with Marca: ‘You cannot ask for more; however, it is the team’s effort and unity that brought us to this point.

‘Desiring more victories is natural, but for now, we must relish this. We have won decisively against a formidable team like Italy.’

‘We are extremely pleased. This was our goal from the tournament’s outset. We recognized we were the team to beat, knowing it would be tougher than ever, and indeed it has been.’

‘At times during the championship, we had some luck, but ultimately we will contemplate what today signifies in the history of Spanish football.’

‘From beginning to end, we demonstrated our dominance and savored a magical evening. Now, we can confidently state that future national teams will focus on us to attempt and make their own history.’

Throughout much of the tournament, Torres found himself on the sidelines as Spain played extended periods without a recognized striker, with Cesc Fabregas taking on the role of their most advanced player.

Nonetheless, he concluded the campaign with three goals and, thanks to his assist for Juan Mata’s fourth, secured the Golden Boot.

He also made history by becoming the first player to score in two European Championship finals, following his winning goal against Germany four years prior.

Having started only three of Spain’s six matches, Torres remarked: ‘Football operates like this. This marks my third Euros; in the previous ones, I played nearly all the matches and scored two goals. In this one, I’ve played less but have earned the Golden Boot.’

‘Depending on your perspective, football can be just or unjust, which is why we love it so much.’

David Silva and Jordi Alba were responsible for Spain’s first two goals, while Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta was awarded man of the match in the final and celebrated a truly historic accomplishment.

‘This is something extraordinary, magical, and unrepeatable,’ he expressed to AS. ‘We must seize this moment. The key takeaway is that Spain are the champions, which was our purpose in coming here.’

‘It was an exceptionally complete game; we excelled with possession, and when Italy was reduced to 10 players (following Thiago Motta’s injury), we applied excellent pressure. Our overall performance was exactly what was required of us in this final.’

by Terence Johns
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