ABSTRACT
Four minutes short of the 2010 World Cup Final in Johannesburg going to penalties, Andres Iniesta’s goal gave Spain what was certainly a decisively one goal lead. The players were in a joyous celebration for it put the country on the verge of winning, the holy grail of football for the first time in their history. It was to become the country’s second major success in the space of two years following their win at Euro 2008.1 The claim of Spain as one of the greatest teams of all time was made following their World Cup victory, which was reinforced following their victory in the 2012 European Championships.2 Home to two of the greatest football club sides of all time in Real Madrid and Barcelona, it is puzzling why it took Spain such a long time to find the success at international level, having only had the 1964 Euro Cup win to show in the past?
