A historical cycle culminated, a time of triumph in which the Spanish team closed the perfect circle to achieve what no one had achieved before: win a European Championship, a World Cup and another European Championship consecutively. But in order to achieve the feat you had to defeat Italy, the rival of La Roja in the semifinals next Tuesday, in that final of July 1, 2012. An encounter that will always remain to be remembered as one of the best of the selection, a game that two of its protagonists now recall: Ramos and Iniesta.
“I have a great memory of Euro 2012, at the level of play, to compete … “, Andrés begins in an interview with UEFA.” We got a great match. With a lot of domination, speed in the game, superiority situations … It is one of the great encounters that we remember with the national team “, keep going.
We got a round match. With a lot of domination, speed in the game, superiority situations …
Ramos, in the interview with UEFA, recalls how they prepared the duel against Italy: “Vicente put a lot of emphasis on the national team in general, not on a specific player, even though it had renowned people like Pirlo, Cassano, Balotelli, that being young was in a splendid state of form … And Italians also have that added experience, because they know how to play and handle small details very well. “
But to Spain everything was put very soon of face. Iniesta was the one who started the first goal play. “I saw Cesc who could be unmarked between the defenders and the pass came out in his career … Cesc did very well, who saw Silva back, who was entering to finish. A very good move, “he recalls.
When Xavi had the ball, anything could happen
“I remember perfectly. The ball is centered by Fabregas for an extraordinary header by Silva, that despite being small, he was very good at it, “explains Ramos for his part.
The 2-0, Ramos remembers it that way. “Jordi Alba does not stop going up and down and he was surprising in speed. And he ended up defining in an extraordinary way. A great goal that put us 2-0. Have a favorable result and that control of the game … “, affirms while Iniesta gives the key of the play: “By concentration in the party, to know each other … Because Jordi knew that when Xavi had the ball, anything could happen. “
What we did will take years and it will be very difficult to overcome
Then came the third, the work of Torres, and the fourth of Mata to round off the win, that 4-0, and see Spain again lift the Eurocup. “I don’t know if they will do it again, but what we did will take years and it will be very difficult to overcome “, assures Ramos, who continues: “We had it in mind, we knew it was a period team, a historical team. And we knew how difficult it is to win the European Championship, the World Cup and the European Championship. Because of that, we were also excited and we were motivated to try to achieve something so difficult that it would be practically impossible for another team. “
Iniesta ends by summarizing how that game was: “When we had to attack, we attacked, when we had to have possession, we had it. Very high ball speed … It was, let’s say, a perfect ending. “
