Spain back to dark ages after WCup woes
Print Edition
Spain arrived at the World Cup convinced it was ready to rule world football again but Sunday鈥檚 defeat to Russia in the last 16 has set the 2010 champion back a decade and brought an end to a glorious generation.
The idea that Spain, boasting a squad bursting with winners at club and international level, could be sent home by the lowest-ranked team in the tournament would have sounded preposterous just a month ago, but as the minutes ticked by at Moscow鈥檚 Luzhniki Stadium it seemed ever more likely.
Despite making an astounding 1,107 total passes, Spain could not break the 1-1 deadlock and its fate was sealed when Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev booted away Iago Aspas鈥檚 spotkick to cap a 4-3 shootout win for the host.
Perennial underachiever on the international stage, Spain rid itself of that tag during a glorious cycle between 2008 and 2012 when it won back-to-back European Championships and a first World Cup. But to the national media, this latest fiasco was all too familiar.
鈥淪pain step back 10 years鈥 said newspaper El Pais, while Marca declared, 鈥淪pain return to the past鈥.
Where Spain goes from here is far from clear.
It is without a coach and is soon set to be without many of the players that have been part of the furniture for so long.
Andres Iniesta confirmed his international retirement immediately after the game and Gerard Pique is set to join him. Sergio Ramos and David Silva will be 34 by Euro 2020.
鈥淭he end of a generation鈥, said the cover of newspaper AS.
The decision to dispense with long-time coach Julen Lopetegui days before the World Cup after he failed to tell the federation about his move to Real Madrid after the tournament was inevitably brought up.
While the decision, taken by federation president Luis Rubiales, had the backing of large sections of the media and influential former players it unsettled the players who had worked with Lopetegui for two years.
Koke, who also missed in the shootout, said it had been hard to lose him. 鈥淲e lost our leader,鈥 the midfielder said.
Interim boss Fernando Hierro鈥檚 lack of coaching experience was there for all to see when he flapped on the sidelines, throwing on Dani Carvajal and Andres Iniesta after he had dropped them from the starting line-up.
Hierro seemed unsuited to his sudden transformation from director of football to head coach. 鈥淚 arrived wearing a suit, I鈥檒l leave wearing a tracksuit,鈥 the former Real defender said two weeks ago.
He did not expect to be leaving Russia so soon but given the turmoil that enveloped Spain鈥檚 campaign with the sacking of the man that got it there, no one could really have been surprised by its early exit.
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