At last! For so long they’ve been the team you curse because you had a crafty flutter before they faltered, now Spain are finally champions. What’s more, they did it their way. Their frustration at their successive failures never led them to lose faith in themselves, to abandon the way they want to play. They have always prized technical excellence and imaginative expression above all else, advocated fantasy above pragmatism. They always knew they were right. And now they may bask in beautiful vindication.

High-tempo virility has long been the badge English football likes to flash, but under Sven-Goran Eriksson they forsook that for set-piece opportunism, while under Steve McClaren they were plain confused. But Spain have shown that high-tempo virility is still a powerful force - but it’s just the starting point, the real trick is to build on it with precise technique and inspired creativity. Xavi’s wonderful pass to Fernando Torres, and Torres’s clever, tenacious run and exquisite finish encapsulated everything that makes Spain worthy kings of the continent.

Like Greece in 2004, this was a victory for a collective. But Spain are no machine, Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc Fábregas and Sergio Ramos no mere cogs. They are a vibrant organism, each element exuding adventure and intelligence. Their movement, speed and offensive intent make them devastating.

Their conviction did waver temporarily tonight as glory twinkled tantalisingly; Germany, ever defiant, cranked up the pressure in the last 30 minutes and Luis Aragonés withdrew Fábregas and David Silva for marginally more conservative players. Yet still Ramos, Andrés Iniesta and Marcos Senna came closer to scoring in that period than Germany. And unlike Germany - and the other great performers at these championships, Turkey, Russia, Holland and Portugal - Spain defended immaculately.

The margin of Spain’s victory tonight was the same as Greece in 2004 and, in fact, brought the tournament’s goal tally to 77 - exactly the same as in 2004. But this was an infinitely better tournament. It wasn’t about the number of goals, rather how they were scored and all the intangible stuff that went before and after them. It’s been about teams’ verve, their intent, their flow - their managers’ trust in talent and attack more than set-pieces and opportunism.

Spain exemplified all that made this tournament delightful. In addition to the inventors already mentioned, they have a holding midfielder who does so much more than hold: the Makelele role is old hat, rendered obsolete by Senna (and the likes of Holland’s Orlando Engelaar and Portgual’s João Moutinho). And this was the tournament in which managers truly embraced the belief that full-backs are the first line of attack. They must raid like Ramos (and Philip Lahm or José Bosingwa), and so we had attacking midfielders deployed in what was once a primarily defensive role (Hamit Altintop, Yuri Zhirkov, Gio van Bronckhorst). There is a real zing to this zeitgeist.

International football was supposed to be dying, fatally wounded by clubs’ superior power. The notion that teams restricted to picking players from just one fragment of a map could possibly be better to watch than the Champions League glitterati, who hoover up talent from all over the planet, seemed deeply illogical and embarrassingly unfashionable. It still is illogical, of course, but now it doesn’t seem so wrong: after a thrilling Euro 2008, hot on the heels of an exhilarating African Cup of Nations, international football suddenly seems vital again.

It’s amusing to wonder what spawned the revitalising spirit. Perhaps Michel Platini deserves some acclaim. When he acceded to the Uefa throne many questioned whether he could or would put his populist rhetoric into practice. But to an extent he has done, albeit after making the requisite pragmatic compromises. The disbandment of G14 was announced last January - to be replaced by the more egalitarian European Club Association (ECA) - and Uefa and Fifa also persuaded clubs to drop legal action seeking compensation for players injured on international duty.

Had the clubs won their case, most national associations would have been financially buggered. Instead a deal was reached and the Euro 2008, like the African Cup of nations earlier in the year, have been like joyous celebrations of the reprieve for international football. Life-affirming festivals of invigorating play, never-say-die passion and, perhaps most surprisingly of all, an almost universal shunning of gamesmanship. The managers who didn’t get into this groove - Raymond Domenech and Otto Rehhagel, most notably - flopped ignominiously.

Maybe this sounds like the sort of wishy-washy waffle spouted by flakes with flowers in their hair, and, indeed, maybe that G14 spiel is silly sophistry. Maybe the excitement of this competition was just a cyclical inevitability, a natural reaction to the constipated negativity that soiled Euro 2004 or an offshoot of the perceived romanticism of Manchester United’s Champions League triumph. Maybe it was an illusory consequence of rubbish defending; perhaps it’s just coincidental that so many managers have simultaneously decided that attack is the best form of defence. Or maybe the cool and rain of Austria and Switzerland favoured high-tempo play. Whatever, the fact remains that Euro 2008 was great fun, mainly thanks to the the spirit in which it was played, a spirit that coxed memorable displays from ingenious Spaniards as well as the likes of Andrei Arshavin, Wesley Sneijder, Deco, Luka Modric, Colin Kazim-Richards, Libor Sionko and so many more, and returned to us the unpredictable.

Infuse a three-week tournament with that spirit and you have a beautiful complement to nine-month club seasons, rather than an inconvenient chore tacked on at the end of them (or in the middle). Tournaments like this stoke our love of the game. And prove that clubs still need countries.

By Paul Doyle

Ref from guardian.co.uk

Spain ended their 44-year trophy drought by defeating Germany 1-0 with a Fernando Torres goal and are crowned champions of Europe.

Two completely different schools of football went head to head in Vienna for the European Championship. Spain were the favourites after winning all their games, albeit needing penalties to see off Italy in the quarter-final, but had not won silverware since 1964 and their last major Final was 24 years ago. Germany went into a record sixth Euro Final and have proved their mental toughness on more than one occasion.

Top scorer David Villa was out of action due to a thigh strain, so Cesc Fabregas came in to adopt a more creative and packed midfield. Michael Ballack passed a last-minute fitness test to start despite a calf problem. Torsten Frings returned to the starting XI after recovering from a broken rib.

There was an early scare after three minutes when a poor Sergio Ramos backpass was intercepted by Miroslav Klose, but the Bayern Munich man was unable to make the most of this gift. Thomas Hitzlsperger had a tame shot from the left flank as it was all Germany early on with Iker Casillas dealing with some corner kicks.

However, it was nearly an own goal at the other end when a brilliant through ball found Andres Iniesta, it ricocheted off Christoph Metzelder and forced a fantastic reaction save out of Jens Lehmann.

A hopeful Xavi Hernandez free kick over the wall was easily gathered and Per Mertesacker did well to stand his ground and cut short a dangerous Fernando Torres counter.

Spain were visibly improving with every minute and should have scored on 22 minutes. Torres got behind Mertesacker for a towering header that cracked against the base of the near post! As the move continued, Capdevila blasted wide.

Germany wanted a penalty for Sergio Ramos’ handling offence to block a Ballack volley, but replays showed he made contact with his ribcage. Lukas Podolski wasted a promising opportunity when he hesitated with his weaker right foot, then another clearer handling offence by Marcos Senna was waved on.

A Fabregas strike was smothered by Lehmann, but the German defence’s utter howler handed Spain the opener on 33 minutes! Lehmann came rushing out low to gather the Fabregas pass, but Torres anticipated both the shot-stopper and Philipp Lahm to flick it over Lehmann into an empty net.

Moments later Iniesta set up a great chance for David Silva, who shinned it over with only the goalkeeper to beat. To make matters worse, Germany went down to 10 men momentarily as Ballack was left bleeding after an accidental knock to the eyebrow from Senna.

Bastian Schweinsteiger horribly wasted a free kick, while Silva’s first touch sent a good through ball out for a goal kick. Ballack got into a tussle with Casillas and Carles Puyol, with both the Chelsea and Real Madrid men booked. Spain continued to threaten on the counter as Iniesta was charged down for a corner.

Inevitably, Joachim Low had to make a change and Marcell Jansen replaced Lahm at left-back. It made little difference to a shaky defence and Lehmann got a fingertip to Xavi’s shot across the face of goal. The resulting corner fell to Silva, whose effort was nearly flicked in off Sergio Ramos. Spain almost performed a replica of the first goal, but this time Lehmann managed to scramble hold of the ball just before Torres could connect.

Time was running out and Low threw on striker Kevin Kuranyi for the disappointing midfielder Hitzlsperger. Sergio Ramos’ cross flashed past everyone and the back post, but Germany finally woke up and had a great scoring opportunity as Ballack’s low drive skimmed a coat of paint off the base off the upright from Schweinsteiger’s assist.

There was a curious moment with Torres down after a knock, but the referee did not stop play and Schweinsteiger went over to the Liverpool striker with the ball to his feet and tried to pick him up! Play continued anyway and as the move progressed Kuranyi just failed to get his head to a dangerous Ballack cross.

Schweinsteiger went on the counter with three against three, but his shot came off teammate Klose for a goal kick. Luis Aragones also made a change, adopting a 4-1-4-1 with Juventus target Xabi Alonso replacing Fabregas.

Germany were furious with Italian referee Roberto Rosetti, as Podolski appeared to be butted lightly when he went head-to-head with Silva, but the officials did not take action. Understanding the risk that had been run, Aragones replaced him with Santi Cazorla.

The Germans were uncharacteristically disastrous at defending from a free kick, as Sergio Ramos was totally unmakred and his free header palmed out by Lehmann. From the corner Frings had to clear off the line from Iniesta’s eight-yard effort.

Santi Cazorla threaded through for Iniesta again clear on goal and tested the ‘keeper. At the other end Casillas punched away a Frings free kick and Torres was carded for an elbow on Mertesacker.

Torres skipped past Mertesacker moments later, but his touch was too heavy and allowed Lehmann to gather. Spain had a flowing counter-attack only for Torres to see both crosses charged down. It was Torres’ final contribution, as he made way for Roma transfer target Daniel Guiza. Germany made their final change with Klose replaced by Mario Gomez, who has had a disastrous tournament up until now.

Spain would have made it 2-0 with nine minutes left had Senna been able to make contact with Guiza’s cutback, but he was at full stretch with the goal gaping from five yards! Xavi curled a free kick over and Kuranyi saw yellow for a clumsy challenge on Senna. Gomez ruined a good chance by barging into Capdevila in the final minute, but Spain were celebrating at the final whistle.
Germany: Lehmann; Friedrich, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Lahm (Jansen 46); Frings, Hitzlsperger (Kuranyi 58); Schweinsteiger, Ballack, Podolski; Klose (Gomez 78)

Spain: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Marchena, Puyol, Capdevila; Senna; Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas (Alonso 63), Silva (Santi Cazorla 66); Torres (Guiza 78)

Ref: Rosetti (Ita)

Ref From channel4.com