Georgia coach Willy Sagnol spoke for the managers of Turkey, Bulgaria, France, Germany, England and lots of others when he sighed with melancholy resignation and proclaimed: “Spain don’t simply play on one other world, they play from a special universe.”
The Frenchman, who received the UEFA Champions League with Bayern Munich and was a FIFA World Cup runner-up in 2006, had simply seen Spain’s “C” workforce threaten to place eight or 9 objectives previous Georgia. Then, days later, La Roja smashed Bulgaria for one more 4 to equal their all-time unbeaten run (29) in aggressive matches.
“All-time” signifies that this squad has simply matched one of the best undefeated run set by the Spain of Iker Casillas, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Carles Puyol, Jordi Alba, Sergio Ramos, David Villa and Fernando Torres.
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And what’s exceptional about Luis de la Fuente’s present model of Spain is that they maintain getting stripped of their elite skills … however win and thrill anyway.
For instance, of their final two World Cup qualifying matches Spain might have fashioned an XI from the next absent gamers:
Goalkeepers: Joan García, David de Gea
Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Dean Huijsen, Pau Torres, Nacho, Alejandro Balde, Iñigo Martínez
Midfielders: Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, Marc Casadó, Gavi, Fermín López, Dani Olmo, Isco
Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Álvaro Morata, Ayoze Pérez, Joselu, Nico Williams
That, of us, is a workforce (prune it all the way down to your favourite XI) which might beat any rival and win any event. However they have been all, for one motive or one other, absent from Spain’s final two victories.
Throw in Ferran Torres, absent from the squad to face Bulgaria as a result of he had a muscle pressure, and that’s 20 top-class footballers.
Be trustworthy. What number of different nations might lose that many main footballers, a few of whom are one of the best on the earth of their place, and nonetheless thrive? Who might nonetheless romp previous groups who wish to defend for his or her lives and frustrate an understrength “huge workforce”?
I believe that the reply is: completely no one.
No different worldwide workforce might give you so many options in opposition to a backdrop of talent-drain and nonetheless look — at instances — unbeatable.
On Saturday, down on Spain’s south-eastern coast, if it hadn’t been for Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili placing on one more masterclass in opposition to the European champions, the scoreline would have been 8-0 or 9-0.
That sparked this reply once I requested Sagnol — as an ex world-class defender and long-time coach — exactly why it’s, in his view, that Spain are usually not solely superior however seem to have limitless depth?
“Do you keep in mind within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineties — Spain have been good, they performed nicely however they didn’t win issues?” he stated. “What you see now could be a product of 20-25 years good planning and follow by the Spanish FA. Take [Barcelona midfielder] Pedri for example. He’s what: about 5 kilograms? He appears as if he’d blow away if a powerful wind received up.
“However he’s one of many two or three greatest gamers on the earth, greatest in his place, as a result of he’s so clever. All the things he does is for the workforce, driving them ahead, providing for the ball, discovering area, creating area.
“Spain produces so many gamers with soccer intelligence — that’s the particular factor. Take a look at it immediately; they’d six or seven prime gamers lacking and also you wouldn’t have observed. They play precisely the identical means and on the similar degree. They usually maintain producing these great, football-intelligent gamers.”
Spain’s file previously 4 years reads: UEFA European Championship semifinal (2021), Olympic silver medal (2021), UEFA Nations League runner-up (2021), World Cup spherical of 16 (2022), Nations League winners (2023), European Championship winners (2024), Olympic gold medal (2024), Nations League finalists (2025).
If this was a racehorse who’d positioned third, second, second, ninth, first, first, first, and second, the stud-value can be off the charts and punters can be betting of their tens of millions that this stunning beast can be a cert to win the large one subsequent summer season.
To emphasise Sagnol’s level, De la Fuente has used at the least 63 gamers throughout that run. Lots of these are footballers who different judges — throughout the recreation, from the media and amongst followers — thought couldn’t minimize it on the highest degree however at the moment are established worldwide mainstays.
I managed to talk to Leeds United’s organizing midfielder Ilia Gruev after Spain’s 4-0 win over Bulgaria on Tuesday, and he was equally eloquent concerning the world’s main soccer nation.
“It’s very, very robust in opposition to Spain since you don’t even get in duels,” he stated. “You’ll be able to’t even make a sort out or get shut as a result of they transfer it [the ball] so rapidly.
“They’re very clever footballers. They play simple and sensible which, for me, is one of the best anybody can play. Everyone is aware of what to do and it’s very robust in opposition to them. You defend the entire time after which all of the sudden you win the ball and also you’re exhausted. You should have the ball simply to breathe a bit bit.
“Once I watch Spain play I get pleasure from it. It appears simple and other people suppose that’s the reality however it’s not. It’s very exhausting to do what they do.”
However, like Sagnol accurately identified — it’s a course of. Yearly, Spain’s FA begins with the 14-to-15-year-old age group, selects one of the best 55 gamers from that era after which begins to mildew them. Ways, self-discipline, unity, accountability.
Once I spoke to the then youth coordinator on the Spanish FA, Ginés Melendéz he informed me: “From the minute the lads arrive aged 15, proper up till they’re 20 or 21, we work with them in precisely the identical means, with the identical coaching drills, till they change into automated. The boys arrive with loads of expertise however we now have to offer them order. That’s the 2 issues which defines our soccer: order and expertise.”
Which partially explains why, when Spain’s key footballers are absent, somebody merely steps up and does the identical factor.
“We’re a household,” Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino stated Tuesday night time after scoring twice in opposition to Bulgaria.
As a substitute of taking the dying minutes penalty, which could have given him a hat trick, Merino handed the ball to Mikel Oyarzabal who scored his thirteenth aim of the De la Fuente reign. The strike made it eight objectives and 5 assists, plus a European Championship final-winning aim to his identify, in his previous 13 Spain matches. Is it a coincidence that he and De la Fuente have been working collectively since Oyarzabal was 19? And that the striker appears 3 times the participant with Spain that he does at Actual Sociedad? I believe not.
Sagnol, after all, offered the final phrase on La Roja’s supremacy: “Spain and Portugal are the 2 soccer fashions proper now that each different nation needs to be seeking to study from and replica.”
He’s proper, however he stated it with a sigh and a tragic face. He and his Georgia workforce had simply been by means of the Spain expertise and are available out battered and bruised — however filled with admiration — on the opposite facet.