Will Spain Continue To Falter As History Suggests?

It’s not always been this good, in-fact; it’s never been this good. Spain are arguably the only one of the footballing ‘giants’ to have never of lifted the famous Jules Rimet trophy despite qualifying for the World Cup 13 times. The current Spain squad is very much the ‘golden age’ of Spanish football, indeed, at present it’s ‘the golden age’ in Spanish sport with Spain possessing a very talented group of tennis and basketball players as well as an outstanding football team.

Spain didn’t enter the first World Cup in 1930 but qualified for the tournament in 1934 reaching the quarter finals, which only required one win, of the competition before being knocked out by hosts, and eventual winners, Italy.

Spain appeared in the 1950 World Cup; after the competition was halted due to World War 2, for the second time in their history and achieved their best placed World Cup finish ever – 4^th place – finishing bottom in the final group stage, with the competition format different to the current set-out.

Spain didn’t qualify for the World Cup again until 1962 which meant that Alfredo Di Stefano never appeared at a World Cup final’s event, arguably the best player never to play in a World Cup. Di Stefano scored 374 goals in 521 games in his illustrious career. In the 1962 World Cup Spain struggled and were knocked out in the first round winning just one game in the process.

Spanish football suffered for the next 20 years with the team not qualifying for the competition in 1970 and 1974 and only reaching the first round in 1966 and 1978. It was made host of the competition in 1982 and reached the second round of the tournament although they did not progress further.

Spain then started to become an established nation in footballing terms, perhaps due to the sport receiving some much needed publicity around the country due to the World Cup being hosted in the nation four years earlier. Spain managed to reach the quarter finals stages of a World Cup for just the fourth time in their history, during the 1986 tournament in Mexico, but a heartbreaking defeat to Belgium on penalties would stop the team progressing any further.

In more recent times Spain have continued to establish themselves in the World Cup but have never threatened to win the competition. The 1994 World Cup saw Spain placed amongst the favourites after losing just once in their impressive qualifying campaign. The finals saw Spain falter again, with a young Josep Gaurdiola marshalling the centre of midfield, making the quarter finals but losing to a star-studded Italian side 2-1.

The Spaniards were again amongst the favourites to lift the Jules Rimet trophy in 1998 and an unbeaten qualifying campaign further added to the hope that this may be their year. Spain were starting to produce some of the hottest properties in World football as well with a youthful Fernando Morientes and Raul being part of the squad. However, Javier Clemente’s team didn’t take their qualifying form into the group stages and were knocked out after losing to Nigeria and drawing with Paraguay.

South Korea in 2002 brought one of the most controversial moments in Spanish football history. After winning all three of their group stage matches and beating the Republic of Ireland in the Second Round ‘La Furia Roja’ – The Red Fury – set up a quarter final match against the unfavoured co-hosts South Korea. Spain thought they had scored twice but both goals were dubiously disallowed by the referee before the South Korean’s dream continued as they won 5-3 on penalties. Ivan Helguera had to be restrained in his vehement protests against referee Mr. Ghandour at full-time.

Spain entered the 2006 World Cup with an, undoubtedly talented, but youthful squad and this inexperience shone through as the Spanish scrapped through qualification winning a play-off match against Slovakia after finishing behind Serbia in their group. Once again Spain qualified comfortably from their group but were beaten by eventual finalists France in the second round 3-1.

2010 marks Spain’s best chance of winning the World Cup to date. Their squad is one that every single nation entering the competition will look at with envy; it is strong in every single position. As the tournament favourites they will take some stopping if it is not to be Iker Casillas who lifts the famous trophy above his head in South Africa this summer.