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Spain in black and white

is a Spain full of suffering,

it's coming out of a war. It's a Spain with problems.

The Spanish national soccer team

couldn't feel like others either.

Because everyone else looked at Spain

as a second class country.

The international isolation can be seen.

Spanish soccer still isn't up to the level

of other countries.

They won Euros once,

in a showing that was full of patriotism,

after their history with Russia.

Everyone was lively and happy.

Spain has the European Championship in its hands.

It helped us give like a kick

of pride to Spanish fans and Spanish soccer.

They made it to big tournaments with no hope,

and the country didn't feel like they were let down.

They found it normal.

That was our place in the world.

I remember the Spanish team when I was young,

it was like vulgar.

The pass, the goal,

we're Spanish, we can handle anything.

Spanish soccer was fury,

by the claws, impetus, bravery.

The pride, the effort, the ability to sacrifice,

as opposed to the absence of talent,

the absence of technique.

I remember being in the dining room,

eating pistachios with my dad,

watching us lose to Romania, to Yugoslavia.

We remembered the Spanish team's goals,

as goals that didn't exist.

Cardeñosa's miss,

Michel's shot that hit the keeper's boot

and the ref ruled a no goal.

Julio Salinas's goal against Italy.

All goals that never happened.

We lost and lost, until losing the final.

IN 1996 IKER CASILLAS JOINED THE JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM

How has your experience been?

Honestly, it's been great,

I don't think I'll ever forget it.

And I hope it helps me,

if God wants me to play

in the future. Same with them, right?

The first time I saw Iker, be Iker, he was 16.

In a European championship

we won, the sub-16 European Championship.

And he stopped a penalty shot in the final.

My first memory with the sub-15 team, in this case,

it was a call-up we had

to Real Madrid's Antigua Ciudad Deportiva.

I had been playing well at the lower levels.

And when I got the letter from the national team

I was nervous, but really excited.

Because it was like starting to fulfill my dream.

Coinciding, with Xavi Hernández.

The first time I saw Xavi play, it was amazing.

Seeing his class being such a small player.

He was one of the most exquisite soccer players I've ever seen.

I met Iker on the sub-17 team.

We had chemistry, a great connection.

That feeling of, "I like this guy."

He's quick, smart, and that's how we connected.

We laughed, we talked about everything.

And we always had anecdotes, experiences,

we had a good time.

He played for Madrid, he was Madrid to the bone.

And I've been Barcelona my whole life.

Each of us were very true to our team.

I'm sure he celebrated when Madrid lost.

When we talked about the top Madrid team,

before we were at that level.

We got together at the sub-20 World Cup,

and I noticed his winning attitude.

So from there,

we had a synergy. Of that winning attitude.

Every competition we were in, we wanted to win.

We won the sub-20 World Cup, and that changed everything.

Xavi and Casillas are the start,

but without Puyol's courage, it would've been impossible.

In our generation, in the lower levels,

lots of players had won important competitions.

They invested in soccer and the players

who came out were prepared for the highest level.

Iniesta, he passes to Torres.

We were lucky

that right behind us were players

who were also making a name at the lower levels.

Namely Fernando Torres, Iniesta.

I remember debuting on the sub-16 with Iniesta,

we always played together, since we debuted.

And at those levels we almost always won.

The national team at the lower levels

always won titles.

It was a matter of time before the senior team

did the same thing.

EURO 2004 PORTUGAL

As always, these are quality players,

the group was easy,

but Spain has had trouble.

It's Spain's worst qualification

since Euros in 1988.

There's no reason for this.

Like always, we made it and couldn't win the final.

The Spanish Football Federation

has sought consensus in Spanish soccer,

to choose a manager.

And experience has won.

The Manager with the longest history.

My first reaction when I heard on the radio

that Luis was going to be in charge,

I can't describe it, it wasn't joy.

It wasn't joy, obviously it wasn't sadness.

It's knowing he'll be demanding.

And pretty much knowing

that we'll be successful,

but also that there would be tremendous change,

as far as what I knew as the national team

up to that point.

Soccer doesn't have a past or a future,

it has a present.

And it's win, win, win, win,

then win again and again and win again,

and win, win, win.

Want me to go on for a half-hour?

That's soccer.

I always say he was a misunderstood genius,

because at that time, he wasn't recognized.

He had a long career,

but he hadn't had much success.

Luis Aragonés needed that cherry on top,

to end his career.

And he chose the most difficult, doing it with the national team,

which had never won.

And being who he is, he accepted the challenge.

Luis wants the big one for Spain,

to wrap up his career in style.

Winning something with Spain, for me it would be,

I would retire from my sports career,

as a coach and manager.

With something important.

They changed coaches and we had Luis Aragonés.

And the first two games, I wasn't called up,

but there are more opportunities I started playing well

and was called up for the third game.

I arrived at the hotel and the first thing he says to me,

"You must've thought, why doesn't this old son of a bitch

call me up, right?"

Damn! That was our introduction.

No hi, no...

No way...

"No, sir, how could I know what you were thinking."

"You're a son of a bitch, etc..."

First thing, "Go upstairs and we'll talk."

That first feeling.

He has character,

there were incidents like with Romario,

whom he ordered to look him directly in the eye,

or with Eto'o, whom he shook by the collar.

After a game, he came into the locker,

let's say a little heated,

and said,

"Kid, why are you so upset?"

And I said, "Nothing,

it's just that I didn't play much

and I wanted to play more."

He grabbed me, lifted me up against the wall,

and said, "Who provided the assist for the second goal?"

And I said, "I did," and he said, "You did!"

"You're the best at assists in this country!"

"And that's all I want from you!"

"To play the way you know..." Anyway, he talked to me...

I'm sure he was diplomatic at home.

As far as threats, taking off his glasses,

you and me, tons of times.

But he was able to fight with a player,

then give him a hug and go out to dinner.

We really connected with him.

Because he was tough,

but endearing.

He gave serious speeches,

but also broke your heart with his sayings.

He always had a funny comment,

he had a great sense of humor.

And I remember he told me

that he put on his leather jacket,

got on his motorcycle, put on his helmet and left.

So no one would recognize him.

He made his tributes, like everyone.

When I made the national team,

he was betting on younger players,

in my case I was only 18,

like we said in my town,

"He hasn't even played with a flashlight."

Let's go, let's go! Set it up!

He could see it. A generational change,

not excluding the veterans,

but starting to combine,

seeing when to mix us,

and consolidate as a group

with a goal in front of us for the future.

For Luis, the goal was to have, from the first day,

a national team that could be champions.

I'm thinking 24 hours a day,

even when I'm sleeping,

sometimes I wake up kicking a ball.

It's 24/7.

Right from the start he gets it in your head

that we're going to be world champions.

And when he said that, we looked at each other...

And we thought, "This guy's crazy."

He had a plan and he kept to it religiously.

And he let you know

at all times, down to every detail.

The goal is to go out and compete,

to win without hangups.

He bets on something new,

something Spain had never done.

It was playing with players who weren't very tall or strong,

compared to others.

If you watched a game between Spain and England,

or Spain and Germany,

it looked like men against boys.

Soccer at that time

wasn't so much about talent,

about possession,

it was about headers

and being physically stronger.

Smaller players started showing up,

who weren't used much at that time,

especially in the midfield.

You started to see Cesc, Xavi, Iniesta.

He trusted us,

when we didn't even trust ourselves.

I remember his words,

he said, "If I don't win

with this team, I'm a shitty manager."

The manager gave us confidence,

he had faith in us.

He gave power to a younger generation.

When Luis Aragonés took over the team,

the team hierarchy

was much more vertical.

There were two players or three leaders,

and everything was done around those players.

The previous generation, which was Cañizares,

Raúl, Míchel, Morientes.

They were examples for everyone

on the team, they were amazing players.

The most relevant, most important player at the time

was Raúl, without a doubt.

There were two important figures in the locker room.

One was Luis Aragonés, the other was Raúl.

He's a player with a lot of weight, a lot of strength.

The relationship, sometimes it's good,

and at a point it becomes a power surge.

Luis started thinking about changing Raúl's role.

He's no longer a surefire starter.

And that complicates

the relationship, it complicates it.

2006 WORLD CUP GERMANY

He left Raúl on the bench in the first game,

and you could see a bit of a debate.

The conflict came about because at one point

Raúl had a knee injury and Luis feels like

he's doing him a favor,

including Raúl in those conditions.

But Raúl felt like he was

a surefire starter, like he always had been.

So I think that's when there was some friction.

That goal from Zidane

meant Spain's elimination from the World Cup.

France goes to the quarterfinals, winning 3-1.

From there I think

the relationship deteriorated, there's a tension,

and at one point Luis decides, either Raúl or Luis.

Until today, he had never left Raúl off.

You can argue among yourselves and think what you want, but...

for better or worse, I'm the manager.

Little by little he understood

that maybe he had to do something different.

We had gone to many World Cups and Euros

with that style, with that type of player,

and maybe he decided or understood

that it was best to change.

It's often best to start from scratch,

to make a transition with players you need,

who are the pillars of the team.

But you need them to understand there's a change.

And he understood that to win, he had to make changes.

Raúl's last game was against Northern Ireland,

where he had a confrontation

with Luis Aragonés.

They were both confrontational,

they both had a lot of personality.

But there are things you just can't talk about.

Things that should remain in the locker room.

I think that Luis Aragonés

is one of the bravest people

I've met in soccer.

Because leaving Raúl off at that time,

he knew the repercussions.

OUT!

We went to Palmas, and we went to Oviedo

and we went to Sevilla,

wherever we went, Raúl was the topic of conversation.

RAUL, NATIONAL TEAM!

That made the press

go after Luis Aragonés.

A sector of the Madrid press didn't understand.

They thought Luis had gone crazy

and that, without Raúl,

it was impossible for Spain to win anything.

MADRID FANS PREPARE PRO-RAUL, ANTI-LUIS PROTESTS

I think it's important to put into context

what Raúl meant for the team,

for the whole country.

For me he is

perhaps the best Spanish player ever.

Him not being on the team was like government news.

Raúl, Raúl, Raúl!

The field we played on in Spain

was a hostile environment for us.

Actually, the last games before going to Euros,

we played in Spain to lots of whistling.

I remember a game we played against Argentina in Murcia,

we won 2-1.

And the whole stadium was against us, the whole stadium.

I remember arriving in Málaga with him on the train,

there were 2,000 people hurling insults.

Raúl, Raúl!

And those were campaigns orchestrated

by the press

and some very important journalists in this country.

Raúl denies that anyone from his circle

organized that reception

at the national team's last game.

Luis Aragonés hasn't called him up since September 2006,

when they lost to Ireland.

People who know me,

know that I'm not involved.

I have a lot of respect for the manager.

I never said Raúl organized this.

You say it, because you want to.

And because you're obviously against Luis,

but I never said that.

I said it was organized.

And I've told that to you,

I'm telling you now,

and I've told Raúl.

NATIONAL TEAM OF MARTYRS

After Raúl left the national team,

we played Sweden and we lost.

And Raúl wasn't there,

it wasn't Raúl's fault it was Luis's fault.

So the shovel is for Luis Aragonés.

You're right,

it has been underwhelming.

And that made things much more complicated.

Because people wanted Luis to leave the team.

Luis Aragonés said that

if Spain failed in the World Cup in Germany,

he would leave.

Spain failed in the World Cup in Germany,

because they didn't achieve their goals,

and he didn't leave.

I sincerely think

that Luis's time to leave has come.

From 2006 to 2008,

everyone wanted Luis's head.

At one point it seemed like

all Luis did was lose.

For weeks, for months we lived

with the feeling that Luis was leaving

and we were leaving with him, because of Raúl.

He had a rough time personally.

At two or three times he was about to leave.

I don't think he took into account

the media attention he was suffering,

especially regarding his family.

Mister, did you expect this reception?

No, I didn't.

I didn't expect it but it's not unexpected.

People want you to remain manager.

Relax, we'll talk about it soon.

Do you like that the fans are behind you?

Of course I like it, everyone likes that.

-OK. -Thank you, Mister.

It was rough for him.

When we saw, all us players,

that the press was against the manager,

and the manager faced them, he was honest and brave,

the whole group got the message,

and we did this.

Amazing bonding.

The group strengthened.

We're in this situation together,

and we can feel the pressure and get carried away.

or we can move ahead, and prove everyone wrong.

There was only one way to become

the people's team.

And that was winning.

DENMARK-SPAIN EUROS 2008 CLASSIFICATION

I think La Roja was born in Denmark.

We made 20 or 25 passes

ending in a goal by Ramos over the keeper.

We had the opportunity, after a really long possession

where I ended with the ball, and I finished

with a Pikachu...

Good thing it ended with a goal.

And after that, in Denmark,

we beat Europe's best.

It was no longer Spain, testosterone, fury, no.

We liked to have fun, pass the ball, score goals.

And that's what Luis Aragonés bet on.

Luis said, "You're the best at this."

In association, in technique,

in tactical intelligence, and that was the key for me.

We can't compete with physical force,

and he said we would compete playing soccer.

He gave me all the power.

And being 24, 25 years old,

having him trust me so much,

I had to return the favor.

We had created a new model of playing,

new players, we had all the tools possible.

All that was missing

was making the players believe that they could win.

SPAIN WON THANKS TO XAVI'S GOAL,

BUT STILL HAVEN'T SOLVED THEIR PROBLEMS

The last friendly, before going to Austria, we won 1-0.

But the feeling in the papers

was that we couldn't score, that our defense was poor,

that the team wasn't together.

SPAIN WAS LAZY THE FIRST HOUR, WAKING UP LATE FOR XAVI'S GOAL

They were really hard on Luis Aragonés.

And I had the feeling that those around the team

didn't want things to go well.

Just to show the world that Luis made a mistake.

Greetings from Tivoli Stadium in Innsbruck,

where the Euro start for the Spanish team.

As they face the Russian national team.

Hey, listen to me,

the time has come.

We've been dragged through the mud.

Let's show them,

let's show them.

And when I'm tired, I raise my hand

and someone else comes in.

-Let's go! -Let's go!

We all knew that we were good players,

that we had a good group around us,

but maybe we couldn't accept

that we could be winners.

And it started with Euros.

That's where we had to show up.

And that first game against Russia...

The team was in tune.

What Luis Aragonés incorporated,

which made more noise, even just the number,

Was switching out Raúl, for "Guaje," for Villa.

Fábregas, passes to Villa. There's the Asturian.

And "Guaje" at first, he carried a heavy load,

that generational change.

"Guaje" did his thing and started to believe,

and he started doing what he knew how to do,

which was score goals.

-Go, Villa! -Villa! Villa! Villa!

-Goal! -Goal!

I felt like we could go far.

Obviously winning would be hard.

Let's go!

We had that psychological block

of the quarterfinals.

And we played Italy.

Our rival.

The Azzurra haven't lost to Spain for 30 years.

It was impossible to beat Italy.

They had never beaten Italy.

They always lost, something always happened.

Italy beat us years earlier,

with Baggio's goal,

Luis Enrique's elbow.

They were our nemesis.

The game starts, the ball is in play!

-Let's go! -Possession for Spain.

Let's go, Spain!

Here goes Senna, what a shot!

-Buffon! -It's over.

Ninety minutes and it's tied at zero!

When we went to extra time,

you start thinking those negative thoughts,

"This is the end for us,

we're going home, it's Italy."

And it goes to PKs.

And I saw the Italians,

they had the feeling that they were going through.

And we felt this great tension.

I remember those taking penalty shots

we scared, they were afraid.

I usually took penalties and I said,

"I must be one of the five."

And Luis came over and said,

"The first PK is the hardest.

If we make the first one, that will be huge,

you're taking it, because you're the best at PKs."

I was like, "Shit, that's heavy, Luis."

Villa with his right. Buffon dives.

-Villa's shot. -Goal!

-Goal! -Let's go! Goal!

Let's go, Pepe!

Camoranesi shoots!

Goal. Shot by the kid.

Let's go, Güiza, right past Buffon.

The shot by Güiza with his right!

Shot from Di Natale!

Iker!

-Nice! -He stops it!

I hadn't shot a penalty since the youth team.

Since I was 15, I took them with Barça.

And Mister starts saying

number one, number two, number three, number four,

and he says, "Cesc shoots fifth."

Number five, I was like, "Damn."

I didn't expect that.

You have that pressure of if you score,

you break an important curse.

Quarterfinals, against Italy.

I wanted to shoot to my left, to Buffon's right, over him.

And the last minute, where I have to shoot,

I saw him dive a little earlier than normal,

so I went for the mythical left to right,

it was perfect...

Shoots with his right! Goal!

Goal!

A 24-year drought!

And Spain is back in the Euro semifinals!

We were all aware

that we had a good group around us,

but maybe we didn't have in mind

that we could be winners.

And that's what changed it for all of us.

I noticed that when we won that game,

it was like taking that 50-pound weight

off our shoulders.

And...

We were ready for anything.

People take a breath and say, Spain made it.

I think that's where we got rid

of those hangups as a country.

And we didn't change history by winning in penalties,

history was all mental, we changed it thanks to him.

One, two, three, win, win, win!

Let's go!

After the Italy game, a lot changed,

in terms of mentality, in terms of confidence.

We became a different team.

We played well against Russia,

one of our best games, I think,

we played as a national team.

We put the small guys together again,

I think the second half

was some of the most fun I've had on a soccer pitch.

LEAVING EVEN THOUGH HE'S A CHAMPION

LUIS ARAGONÉS:

"I'M LEAVING BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO MAKE ME STAY"

In the press,

they started talking about Luis not staying on,

he had already told us.

-Guys... -Luis told us,

when Euros were over he was leaving

and he wanted to leave a champion.

No one remembers the runner up.

They think that's how we are, that we party.

We party and win.

And since we're better, we're going to win.

By Euros 2008, Luis Aragonés

had a rocky relationship

with the Spanish Football Federation.

He said he didn't see confidence in the president,

and of course that surprised all of us

Like, after winning Euros, what's going on?

The manager won Euros,

I think that gives him the right to stay on.

We were so excited

and so happy, enjoying the moment,

that we never talked about what would happen next.

Because he made sure

that Euros were the most important thing.

And the best gift we could give him

was him being the first manager

to win Spain's first Euros,

after so much time,

when nobody believed in us.

When he came to Atlético as manager,

I was 17,

and that relationship was like a sports father

and son.

The day of the final, in the locker room,

there were moments you remember your whole life.

We were in the hallway

and he pushed me against the wall,

he had done that once at Atlético, but...

But that day there was something different in his eyes.

And he said it was my moment, that it was our moment,

that we were going to be champions.

And that I was going to score two goals.

I felt in that moment, that it was a goodbye.

And we had to give him a happy ending.

SPAIN-GERMANY FINAL

Don't miss any details.

Open your eyes.

Because this is historic.

Spain in the final of Euros!

Forty-four years of waiting,

whole generations of soccer players

who tried and didn't make it.

Millions of Spaniards waiting for this moment.

Waiting for exactly this moment.

This is our moment.

Go, Spain!

The game is underway!

In the final of Euros,

the first 10 minutes were a disaster.

They came at us from all directions, it was like,

"This could get ugly."

But one moment changed the whole game,

Fernando's header.

It was a game where we said,

"We know how to compete, we're young,

we play different, but we know how to compete."

What a nice pass for Torres,

and Torres fights, Torres shoots!

Goal!

Goal!

Goal, goal, goal!

Goal!

For Spain!

Goal!

For "El Niño"!

-Spain wins! -It's over!

Champions of Europe!

We are champions!

That was the moment,

when that whole process was worth it,

when we could say to the world,

that we weren't wrong. That Luis wasn't crazy.

And that Spain had won.

And that the fans had a new team to cheer for.

Because that's how we felt,

because there weren't fans of the teams coming to see us,

they came to see the national team,

because it was the national team.

I think what you see in that celebration,

was a group of friends.

First, I was happy for Luis Aragonés,

because he deserved it.

And when you win,

and you see him win, you say, "Wow, life is fair,

soccer has been fair to Luis Aragonés."

I remember after winning Euros 2008,

I couldn't sleep for two nights.

Let's go!

I felt like I hadn't gone out for 10 years.

I was full of life, I could handle anything.

Tell me!

Tell you?

Tell me what happened.

Let's go, guys, let's go!

Just remember, that this Euros trophy is yours.

We wanted to bring happiness to Spanish soccer.

For everyone around us,

everyone, we deserve it.

Come on! Long live Spain!

When Xavi grabbed the microphone,

and says, "Long live Spain,"

it was like catharsis.

Like... Damn!

A Catalan through and though, saying long live Spain.

It is approved with 120 votes in favor

and 15 against.

Catalonia votes to reform their autonomous status,

after almost two years of debates.

For us it's another step,

but not toward another statute,

but rather a legitimate goal,

toward a state, our state.

While Spain is enjoying

these great soccer triumphs,

the independence movement is growing.

Under the slogan, "We are one nation,

we want our own state."

Thousands of people are out in the streets of Barcelona.

I want my children to see an independent Catalonia.

Someone says Spain is determined

to live together or apart.

Because it's one place,

very different and very heterogeneous

in terms of political and social realities.

Among them, Catalonia has a lot of personality,

it is a force within Spain.

It fights with Madrid,

like two centers of power

representing different views.

I had to defend myself to my friends,

because I did a especial program

on TV and they said,

"How could you do a program on the Spanish national team?

The Red Square

to watch all the games of the national team.

You're Catalan, you can't follow the Spanish national team,

if you're Basque you can't follow the national team.

These guys didn't care.

There were Catalan guys playing on the national team.

Or Basques celebrating the team's victory.

Part of the euphoria

has to do with letting loose,

at that difficult time economically and socially,

that the country was going through.

Earthquake on Wall Street

and the banking panorama of the United States.

Lehman Brothers,

the fourth largest investment bank in the world,

with 25,000 employees, declares bankruptcy.

Lehman Brothers folds, the recession,

the crisis, the adjustments, the firings.

The eviction!

We're going to stop it!

The social, economic and labor drama

at the time causes

Spain to achieve this amazing success.

So the national team becomes, on the one hand,

a great breath of relief,

for a country that was socially and occupationally anxious,

and at the same time, a beacon of unity.

Of national patriotism.

Coinciding with a very acute economic crisis.

Euros 2008 had two effects, one is that now

the national team is of interest to the country,

and two, the whole country focuses on the national team.

Which before was marginal.

I had a friend, Fabio Cannavaro,

and after winning Euros, he slapped my leg and said,

"Sure, that's great,

but you won't know what it feels like

to lift a trophy

until you win the World Cup."

And I just looked at him like,

is this guy an asshole?

We were all aware that Spain had won Euros.

We had never even been close to a World Cup.

As a kid I looked at that beautiful gold trophy,

in the hands of people

in Brazilian or German uniforms.

You look around, and who is our...

Our icon?

It wasn't clear,

there was no one who stood out from the rest.

And that can be good or it can be bad.

Knowing that without that player

who stands out, we could do it.

We would have loved it, we would have enjoyed it.

Actually, we wanted Luis to continue,

because he had earned it.

So we moved from that pain of him not continuing,

to the uncertainty of, who will be next?

Will we be able to do what we've been doing?

Vicente del Bosque, at that time was

one of the most decorated managers in the world.

He was coming off an amazing run

with Real Madrid,

and was without a team at that time.

And the technical director of the Spanish Football Federation

offered him the role of manager and he accepted.

It wasn't an easy position, because he was taking over

from the only manager to win a title with Spain,

in the modern era.

Taking over a team that's won is the hardest thing in soccer,

because of the expectations.

When it changed from Luis Aragonés to Vicente,

at first I was let down.

Obviously when Vicente del Bosque arrived,

we were all wondering,

what will he do? How will he manage the group?

If you ask what my plan was,

it was to support everything that happened in that era.

We had a recipe that worked,

which we wanted to keep improving.

That was it.

Vicente from the start was very clear with us,

he said we were winners.

He had his ideas but wouldn't mess with the essence.

The expectation when

a manager comes in like Vicente del Bosque,

who came from Real Madrid,

everyone thought

the selection would reflect that.

I couldn't erase 36 years of my life,

with Real Madrid.

To the contrary, I'm proud.

But we have to have the best players,

regardless of where they were born,

what uniform they wore,

we had to set that example.

We couldn't have any doubts.

And to everyone's disappointment,

he called up more players from Barça

than any of his predecessors.

I was surprised when I got called up

for the national team.

I had just joined my club,

but I was playing well,

I was getting minutes.

And when the delegate confirmed it,

that was a very special moment.

I'll always remember that,

and it was also the first cap

for my teammate Gerard.

I was a starter right away,

if things didn't go well, they could easily say,

well, there have been changes,

after winning Euros, and it didn't work.

In that way it was hard, but it was a time in my life

where I was coming off winning the treble

with Barça in my first year,

so I thought, "Another challenge, let's face it head on

and I'm sure it will end well."

He had Puyol by his side, later on he had Sergio Ramos.

We've always relied heavily on them,

to ensure a good atmosphere on the team.

Piqué and Ramos are totally different.

One is a rich Catalan,

the other is an Andalusian street kid.

So that's what we were talking about.

Who's more handsome, Piqué or you?

We each have our charm.

At least it's good stuff.

We knew they would try to pit us

as me, from Madrid, against the Catalans,

and the Catalans, in this case Piqué,

who was held up

as the flag of Barça against the Madrid players.

I think that sports and politics,

even if you try to separate them,

they're always used.

It's logical, Barça

has always been

very representative of Catalonia,

while Madrid has been the image for Spain.

And being part of one club and the other,

then bringing us together on the national team,

they always want to involve you

or use you in the political environment.

Yes, we had more doubts as Catalan players,

because we faced more pressure.

There were rumors about our socks covering the flag.

XAVI AND PUYOL AT CENTER OF SOCK CONTROVERSY

But it wasn't even the Spanish flag,

it was the Adidas symbol,

but they reported that just to create controversy.

I feel patriotic,

and I'm proud to belong to my country, Spain.

I'm tired of traveling around the United States,

and I'm tired of seeing the U.S. flag

over all the houses,

a movie ends and you see the U.S. flag.

And people, I think the problem is,

they try to make the flag

into a Franco issue.

The flag was something we identified,

incorrectly I think, in this country,

we've always linked it to an ideology.

Spain has an old dispute

with the Spanish flag, because we have to remember

there was a civil war, almost a million died.

It fractured the country in two.

On part of the country carried the flag,

and the other part of the country used a different flag.

Today,

captive and unarmed the Red Army

has reached the national troops,

their last military targets.

The war has ended.

When a country has a civil war,

it's not the same as having a war with another country.

If you're defending against a German invasion,

from the right, from the left, communists, not communists,

it's us against them.

But when a country divides, a civil war,

brothers against brothers, cousins against cousins

and uncles against uncles,

it takes a long time to readjust afterward.

It fractures things within that society.

And it takes a long time to heal.

That's how it is.

I met Andrés Iniesta

at the sub-17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago.

I said Xavi was an amazing player,

that I had never seen anything like that,

and people said, "But there's someone even better,

his name is Iniesta."

And I met this kid who was totally normal,

didn't speak much,

very reserved, incredibly reserved.

Andrés the question is, what do you want

to be when you're older?

It's clear, right?

Yes, a soccer player,

with a good career.

Andrés was a person who,

at first, was very introverted,

he kept to himself.

That's what happened to Andrés,

he kept to himself and didn't express himself.

Until he exploded.

It was a Champions League game,

I injured my quadriceps,

maybe it was one of the first that year.

It was a serious injury,

it kept us off the field

for about two months, without playing.

Andrés Iniesta.

Today medical tests have confirmed

an injury to the inside

of the right leg, which means

six to eight weeks of recovery.

It's a big loss,

so unless there are any questions about that,

the rest will be about our current lineup.

His way of expressing himself is playing soccer,

when we can't do that, he gets sad.

Because you can miss out on the biggest event,

it could be related to what you like most,

which is the World Cup

and the possibility of being world champion.

So that anxiety,

when it's on the horizon and you're not well,

you might not make it, it's even worse.

It's an injury,

but it's so close to the World Cup.

Which was all of their dream.

ONE MONTH TO THE WORLD CUP

LIVERPOOL

When I got hurt against Benfica,

when I got the diagnosis,

all I thought about was the World Cup.

I calculated the time, I added and subtracted days,

recovery time, and it didn't add up.

It should have been eight, nine, ten weeks.

I only had four.

WITHOUT "EL NIÑO" AGAIN

The last thing I remember before the anesthesia,

was saying, "Doctor, please don't give me stitches,

if it's broken, take it out,

and if you have to take it all out, do it."

But in one month I have to be at the World Cup.

TORRES IN QUIRON CLINIC IN BARCELONA

We know the risks of a speedy recovery,

forcing things for the World Cup,

which is maximum effort in a short period of time.

Where there are many games,

and it's likely that afterward

you won't be 100%

for a long time.

I risked my future.

But I wanted to be with my teammates,

I wanted to be World Champion.

So we put in the work, not knowing if I'd be called up.

A second important injury to Andrés,

he left the field, he had injured himself,

he almost started crying right there in the corner,

when it happened.

When we went into the locker room,

he felt worse,

he thought, "I won't be able to recover,

it's too close to these important dates."

When you have a dream, a goal to reach,

and on that journey,

things don't go according to plan,

obviously it's hard to handle,

not just physically but mentally.

DOUBTFUL: A. INIESTA, TORRES

WORLD CUP 2010 SELECTION

Midfielders:

Fábregas,

Xavi Hernández,

Iniesta.

During my recovery,

I never thought I won't be ready.

I worked with that dream of playing in the World Cup.

I risked everything to be in the World Cup,

and I was going to be there.

Forwards:

David Silva,

Mata.

I remember the day of the press conference,

that was the first day

I thought, "Yes or no?"

Pedro.

Fernando Torres.

But I made it.

2010 WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA

This afternoon Africa said hello to the world.

And welcomed the largest soccer party like this.

Soccer City in Johannesburg

has been an explosion of color,

a spectacle where dance,

ethnic groups and African music

have played leading roles.

Over 1500 people onstage

paralyzed South Africa

and the rest of the world.

When we got to South Africa we knew

that we were among the favorites to win,

even though we hadn't won before.

It's true, being a team that's never won the World Cup

coming in as the favorite or one of the favorites,

I think it's a lot of pressure.

And we saw that in the first match.

The game is underway.

Iniesta through to Piqué.

Piqué dribbles!

What a block by Benaglio!

Shoot, Villa! Villa centers it!

Villa shoots!

We shot 20, 25 times,

they barely knock on our door, and off a long ball

they score.

Wow! Goal!

Goal Switzerland!

Monumental error by Spain's defense!

What a letdown

for the Spanish team

out on the field.

Deception and defeat in the first game

for the European champs in the World Cup,

being favorites hasn't gone well for Spain.

After losing to Switzerland,

the press gets pessimistic,

"They're going to lose again,

we're the best again but we can never win."

LA ROJA AT THEIR WORST AGAINST SWISS, WHO SLOWED THEIR FLOW

SAME OLD SPAIN

The first match stressed us out for almost the whole World Cup.

That day with the error, it was a very tough day.

We were all worried.

I remember the trip to the pitch,

it was like a funeral.

We're talking about a team that before games usually

played loud music you couldn't avoid.

But that day they were silent.

SPAIN-HONDURAS GROUP STAGE

Suazo! It looks dangerous.

This could be it. Penalty!

-He got him. -He got him.

And...miss!

Damn!

We played much worse than against Switzerland.

SPAIN 2 - 0 HONDURAS

I remember going in the locker room,

saying, "Damn, we won,

but if we play like that against Chile

we'll be out."

SPAIN-CHILE GROUP STAGE

A good through ball for Torres.

Torres runs, Bravo comes out!

-Bravo is fast. -The shot!

Villa shoots! Goal, goal, goal, goal!

Goal! Goal!

What a beauty!

Sánchez plays it for Millar,

in the semi-circle Millar shoots, goal.

-Oh my. -What a disaster.

Let's go, let's go! You can make it!

Torres up and over!

At that time, my head was saying,

"Don't leave anything on the field,

because you'll regret it."

Everything it took to get there,

give it all, if it's 20 minutes, play 20 minutes.

Whatever your knees will give.

If it breaks again, it breaks.

But if I was out there, I had to play to the end.

And that's what happened.

Torres gets by Ponce,

Torres still up.

Torres in the box!

Sanchez helps to close it off!

You feel it again,

I had liquid in my knee, I couldn't bend it.

Playing two games in three days,

after two operations in three months

it complicates things.

SPAIN 2 - 1 CHILE

Come on, Iker!

What I miss most about the World Cup,

is not having memories with my teammates.

My memories from the World Cup are being with Raúl Martínez

and Dr. Cota all day.

I've been asked that question a lot,

was it worth it?

SPAIN-PORTUGAL ROUND OF 16

In the round of 16, Portugal.

Portugal had a great team.

Obviously we had to control Cristiano,

the long shots, the fouls.

But we played our way as a group, as a family.

You had that feeling that even though they had Cristiano,

we were the better team.

And Xavi's pass goes long!

Cristiano, miss!

They had an amazing player,

and we had an amazing team.

What a pass for Xavi.

-Villa shoots! -Let's go!

He shoots! Goal, goal, goal!

Goal!

In the game against Portugal,

it was a message that Spain is here,

they don't have a star, but they have a team.

SPAIN 1 - 0 PORTUGAL

We organized a team in which each player,

we were all stars for our clubs,

but on the national team we understood

it was a different situation.

No matter how well I played with Liverpool,

I knew that the poster boy, in quotes, was Iker,

there was no doubt.

And I accepted my role from the beginning.

I've always said riding the bench

is much harder than being on the pitch.

The nerves are 100 times worse,

but if you really care...

SPAIN-PARAGUAY QUARTERFINALS

Pepe is a guy who always prepares for his matches.

He stands with me, I'm changing, and he talks.

Two months earlier,

Cardozo scored two PKs on me,

in the same spot.

His safety net, in a tense match,

in a close match,

I think he'll shoot there.

I was like, what do I do?

Do I dive right and not listen to Pepe,

what do I do? What do I think?

He's going to shoot to my left like Pepe said.

t was a gesture that speaks volumes, that I honor,

he pointed to me and...

I felt great in that moment.

Because I felt like I had helped a little.

For us on the bench, it was hard.

SPAIN 1 - 0 PARAGUAY

How does it feel to stop a penalty shot

in a game like this?

I'm happy with our teamwork, especially

not just those on the pitch but those off the pitch.

For all the players on the bench who might play fewer minutes.

And remembering Pepe Reina, who is phenomenal,

and he told me where to go,

so I may have stopped it, but my teammate did too.

We couldn't have stars, that wasn't allowed.

Each one of us had to accept our role.

Whether starter or sub, the team would work.

If the team worked, we would all have our moment.

"El Guaje" is here, right?

And four of them here.

So these two...

have to come quick, to stop them.

The play with Puyi

in the World Cup semifinal against Germany,

he had been cooking it up for a while.

We were analyzing Germany

and we saw strategic plays.

And when we saw how Germany defends,

using a zone defense,

I remembered a play we did with Barcelona.

We talked about it before the game.

If you get me the ball, they'll play zone, etc.

SPAIN-GERMANY SEMIFINAL

So in those first corner kicks,

Xavi starts taking them short.

I didn't understand.

And he was ripping me during a dead ball,

saying, "Can't you see, máquina?

Can't you see?

It's time to put the ball in the penalty area."

Put it on the penalty dot and mark my words,

I'll score or a German player will be in their goal.

But I'll give it everything.

First corner of the second half,

I'll put it on the penalty dot.

To shut him up, he was messing with me.

And that's what we did.

Xavi kicks it!

Goal!

Goal Puyol!

Goal! What a goal!

Goal Puyol!

Puyol we love you!

-Goal! -Goal Puyol!

-Goal Puyol! -Amazing goal.

Let's go!

Nice, nice.

The soccer world is in shock

after the death of Daniel Jarque.

The death of Dani Jarque was a bombshell

with great effect.

He was a teammate since they were young,

they played together on the national team.

They had an important friendship.

SOCCER MOURNS FOR JARQUE

When you hear about that,

first, you don't believe it.

Then,

feelings of pain of course.

We were going through

a very complicated time.

And without a doubt,

that moment really got to me...

So,

I got even more down than I was.

A. INIESTA

The word depression appeared,

in a closed circle.

Medically, with the club, with family.

He was thin,

he didn't have much feeling,

you worked his muscles and they didn't improve.

A laziness that wasn't normal for him.

We knew we had to look for a professional solution,

turn to psychology.

At that moment no one,

or at least I didn't know that it went deeper,

that it wasn't just an injury.

There was a mental aspect.

If we explain what's going on,

that it's depression,

headlines will show up in the papers,

saying, "Andrés Iniesta Suffers Depression."

Talking about circumstances

like depression, this stuff,

it's really serious stuff.

In elite sports,

we protect ourselves, we don't show weakness,

because only eleven can play.

If it's not you,

someone else will take your spot.

Going to the World Cup was very important for Andrés,

it's a childhood dream.

The World Cup final,

featuring Spain!

Busquets, Xavi Alonso,

Xavi Hernández in midfield,

Iniesta, Pedro and "El Guaje" Villa.

You can hear the horns,

8:30, time to start the game!

I think the plan was to be true to our style.

We knew that if we had possession,

and we moved the ball quickly, they would suffer.

But we found ourselves

in a very physical game, lots of fouling,

and I think that confused us,

it didn't help us.

I thought they would attack more,

try to steal the ball from us,

but it was the opposite.

They designed a war,

a war of kicks, interruptions,

provocations.

They wanted to unhinge us.

Iniesta with the ball, good movement by Iniesta.

Watch Iniesta. Iniesta.

-Nice! -Let's go!

Come on, run!

We need you, Iniesta.

Iniesta is active.

Touchline, penalty!

That year was a complicated time.

A tough period.

Some injuries piled up,

depression and anxiety.

Navas with it,

Navas going forward, but look how Sneijder follows him,

hold on, Navas!

But I learned that within each of us

is that strength

to get up again,

even if you fall 200,000 times.

Ball for Iniesta, Iniesta the heel kick,

pass to Fábregas, Fábregas to Navas,

Navas to Torres.

And that individually

we aren't much,

and we need to be surrounded by people who love us.

The cross, Torres with the cross.

Look at Fábregas!

Fábregas to Iniesta, Iniesta shoots!

Goal!

Goal! Goal!

Goal!

Goal, goal, goal, goal!

Goal, goal, goal!

Andrés Iniesta!

Goal

for Spain!

Goal

Andrés Iniesta!

Spain one, Netherlands zero!

Thank you, guys!

Taking off my shirt

was like trying to pay homage,

in such a special moment.

When he showed the shirt with Dani Jarque,

that shows Andrés's humanity.

World champions!

World champions!

SPAIN 1 - 0 NETHERLANDS

If anyone deserved to score that goal, its was Andrés.

Maybe the person who best represented

what we wanted to show with that team,

the humility, the work,

overcoming negative situations

with normality and humility.

I think that embodied the team for a long time.

I had a very clear dream, and I followed it,

I assumed the risks.

And obviously it brought the best thing

a soccer player can ask for,

holding the World Cup.

You saw Pelé, Dunga, Taus, Maradona,

and then being up there on the podium

and getting the world cup,

it's unthinkable.

I get goosebumps

thinking that we're world champs.

And no one can take that away.

Having the whole country happy, excited,

for me, with the reason

being that we did this, it's amazing.

It was so hard to unite the country

around something, like winning the World Cup.

They celebrated in Euzkadi,

they celebrated in Catalonia,

in Andalusia and Galicia.

There was such joy,

we went out to the streets with flags,

in Bilbao, in Catalonia and nothing happened.

I found it so exciting.

A glorious day

in the history not only of Spanish soccer,

but in Spain's history.

The flag played the role

that a flag should play,

of representing a collective,

and it left all of us with that taste

of what things could be like.

It wasn't just a symbol,

but still just a symbol.

A shared symbol.

In that moment the leftists said,

"Damn, if I'm singing, that makes me Spanish,"

or "I put on the national team uniform."

This belongs to all of us. It's for all of us.

And for a time, it belonged to everyone.

And we could say, without any connotation,

without criticism,

that, long live the Spanish team

and long live Spain.

Long live the Spanish team,

it's the representation of my country.

It was so strange to see everyone united and happy.

It was so nice.

It was so nice.

We had made history for our country,

I think we knew that we could make history,

not just for our country, but for soccer in general.

And we started to think,

no one's won three in a row.

PELE'S BRAZIL

BECKENBAUER'S GERMANY

ZIDANE'S FRANCE

WON TWO INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS IN A ROW

NO TEAM HAD EVER WON THREE TITLES IN A ROW

We had a unique opportunity to do something

that no team had ever done.

Win three tournaments in a row,

the Euros, the World Cup, and Euros again in 2012.

It was a good challenge.

Also for us to go down in history in that way,

it was good motivation.

The problem is it was through rose-colored glasses,

they won, the players were small and good.

The players from Madrid

and Barça got along amazingly.

And that's when this guy shows up

who fills the Spanish team

with shit.

At the time it was a slap in the face,

having Mourinho come into our lives,

because we had a goal,

to win Euros 2012,

which would make us the best team in history,

and he was a big stone blocking our path,

a huge boulder.

The story of Mourinho coming in and changing the team,

I don't fully agree that it was him who changed it.

The team's history, we changed it ourselves.

At that time Barcelona was winning everything,

Madrid couldn't stand

Barcelona monopolizing national titles,

even European titles.

So Madrid flexes

with Barça's kryptonite.

MOU, YOU'VE EARNED IT

Mou's main message

was to do whatever it took to win.

F.C. BARCELONA - REAL MADRID LA LIGA 2010-2011

18 MONTHS TO EUROS

Our first game against Mourinho's Madrid

was the most we've outclassed them

in a Barça-Madrid game that I can remember.

There goes Iniesta, Iniesta with Ramos.

Iniesta shoots!

The ball's on the line! Xavi, goal, goal, goal!

It's true, that day everything came together,

the result, the possession by Barcelona,

our inability to steal the ball.

Everything accumulated.

Villa shoots, goal!

Goal David Villa!

It was the worst feeling I've had on the pitch,

of feeling inferior.

Because we came in with expectations of competing

and we didn't.

It was hard, very hard, and I suffered.

THE 5-0 PARTY

Piqué's five to Mourinho poured salt in the wound.

It was also the case, I don't know if it's happened before,

we had four derbies in like 25 days.

We played league,

Copa del Rey and Champions League.

They were for titles.

So it's normal that the intensity,

the nerves, everything, increase.

There's this tension in the derbies,

that I had never seen before.

Every Barça-Madrid game in this country

became a mini war.

REAL MADRID - F.C. BARCELONA LA LIGA 2010-2011

14 MONTHS TO EUROS

The next step for Madrid with Mourinho

was competing

like the Netherlands in the final against Spain.

A physical battle,

with interruptions, fouls, arguing.

We talked to them on the pitch, "Hey, what are you doing?"

Like they were possessed.

Not at all, for me we were just being more aggressive,

we were intense in our play, because that's how we played.

How could a club like Madrid

allow a manager with those tactics?

Soccer is a sport of risks,

you're at your limit with high RPMs,

and sometimes you come in late,

you kick someone, someone kicks you.

I've seen plenty of kicks by Barça players,

but it was like the only ones kicking

were us.

That excessive arguing with the refs,

no one likes that.

One week later we had the Copa del Rey final.

F.C. BARCELONA - REAL MADRID COPA DEL REY FINAL

THROUGH TO THE FINAL, LET'S GO REAL

We were surprised by the Madrid players' attitude.

Iker looked very distant,

I don't know if Mourinho told him to or not,

but it bother me and I didn't understand.

Distant? That was normal.

You want to win for yourself too.

Each of us have to do what's best for us.

In this case, with the club.

They were suffering this bout of blindness,

like I don't care what you say,

I trust my manager,

because he said this and I believe his message.

I'll defend my team,

I believe the ideas of my team, my manager,

because we wanted to compete.

And we wanted to be the best we could.

Mourinho understands that friendship

among players on the Spanish team

and F.C. Barcelona harms Real Madrid.

Mou didn't like

us being friendly with players after,

in quotes, they humiliated us, beating us 3-0, 4-0.

He didn't believe in friendship

on the playing field or off.

I think that was the mindset

that bothered him seeing us

saying hi in the tunnel.

He convinced his players of his message.

And convincing them of his message,

they become like a cult.

Mourinho didn't change, at any time,

anyone's personality.

I don't blame Mourinho for my fouls at that time.

I think we're all responsible

for our words and actions.

There have always been great differences

between Madrid and Barcelona.

There always have been and always will be.

But there's always order.

I think that they failed in that.

The poison came from outside.

The poison didn't come from us.

The poison came from outside.

We were always careful

to maintain a good atmosphere.

But what we had was a stale atmosphere.

It was the worst.

And the worst happened.

For five or six months, for half a year,

we were in a tense situation.

They started having poor attitudes.

When you get there, there's a lot of tension,

they barely speak to each other,

staying with their teammates.

Talking to my guys at the table and not to anyone else.

Like a cold war. We were distant,

we gave one-word answers.

Like if they were coming out of the elevator,

and you were going to eat, trying not to cross paths.

Everyone in their area, instead of being together,

like things had been before.

We weren't as...

as untied or close to one another.

It was uncomfortable.

We had to concentrate, tell them that this

was great, they were here to play for their country,

and then you're looking for

what table to sit at.

Coming off an international tournament

and everything had changed, the atmosphere was so different,

you didn't feel like going, when you used to love going.

There's a game they lose in Italy,

that made alarms go off.

Because they were no longer a team.

If half of the team is against the other half,

it won't go well for the group,

as far as competing and winning titles.

Before Euros, there was a risk

that the team would self-collapse.

ITALY 2 - 1 SPAIN

Well, what an atmosphere, Camp Nou is impressive.

Everything ready to start the game.

That ball is put in play by "El Guaje" Villa,

playing to Messi.

10 MONTHS TO EUROS

Marcelo, that's a nasty ankle challenge!

Straight red for Marcelo!

There are two dust ups, Casillas is there, Xavi,

Piqué and company, the managers in the other one.

Casillas is talking to Xavi Hernández!

These close friends on the national team, arguing.

Their friendship has cooled off.

Alfredo, he's worried,

things won't be the same on the Spanish national team.

The whole world is watching this

and we're showing an unfortunate image.

Everything we built in just one day

with Luis Aragonés, in 2006, was ruined.

And from there, as captain, I saw

a bunch of things I didn't like,

going beyond just soccer,

so I had to take action.

First talking to Xavi.

To Xavi...

We weren't on the same page at first.

We laid it all out, everything.

He confronts me, says we're acting weird,

that Piqué doing this with his hand provoked them,

I told him they kicked us, they stepped on us...

But in the end, we came to an agreement,

that we were going to stop this,

that we weren't being good examples.

The whole world was watching

to see if we'd self-destruct on a soccer pitch.

And that saddens me, Iker.

Xavi told us that they had talked.

And that at least Iker thought that we had to

be united again.

So in the end there was a before and after.

Between everyone...

Me with Madrid,

and Iker and everyone, we tried to achieve

that harmony,

so everything would flow naturally.

That move by Iker as captain,

I think we all appreciated it.

And it isn't a question of me being the protagonist

or the savior or anything.

But I could tell that,

first off, we were acting strange,

and secondly,

we were putting the national team on the back burner,

which is very important.

We were letting this opportunity slip away,

to make another Euros final

and leave our mark.

The rumor spread like wildfire two hours before the match.

Casillas, world champion and European champion,

would be a sub against Málaga.

His face is a poem.

I know Mourinho didn't like that decision

between Xavi and Iker,

and maybe for doing the right thing,

Iker ended up paying for it.

MOU WANTS A DIFFERENT CAPTAIN ON THE PITCH

Iker was looked at differently by Mourinho.

For not holding up the deal, I don't know what they had,

whatever it was,

of hating these guys even when on the national team.

Casillas was looked down upon even by Real Madrid fans.

They thought of him as a traitor.

Which is strange, because he was the most dignified.

Calling someone to meet up and say,

hey, this isn't right,

what we're doing, it isn't right.

I'd do it again, every time.

I don't regret anything.

2012 EUROS POLAND AND UKRAINE

SPAIN MAKES THIRD CONSECUTIVE FINAL

SPAIN - ITALY FINAL

Let's go, let's go!

For Euros, we were in the zone.

It was all good feelings, good vibes.

It was like we forgot about everything

we had done before.

Four years later, we faced Italy in the final.

And that closed the circle

of that winning generation.

Of feeling good, of pleasant soccer.

You're having fun in a Euros final.

Iker had an amazing culmination

with that great generation of players.

I think it's important,

how the team matured from 2008 to 2012.

The legacy of that team, I think it's the unity.

And that together we are always much stronger,

more invincible, as we showed.

Inside we had our difficulties, like all families,

and we got over them.

Everyone putting the group before the individual,

that's the key to success for me.

Without a doubt.

We achieved balance on the team,

with those who played more, and those who played less.

Being generous is always profitable.

You have to be generous in soccer.

We put a bow on things with that game,

the Euros, the World Cup,

and winning Euros again, which no one had done.

SPAIN 4 - 0 ITALY

What I keep from that are the friends I made,

the human group,

the stories, the laughs, hanging out together.

The final, on the grass with my teammates and their kids,

it was the image of a story

we started as children

and were finishing as adults.

For me, the secret to all this

lies in something simple, that they were the best.

And I also think that was part of their success,

that people connected

with these guys who weren't deified,

they weren't from another planet,

they were just normal people.

It's interesting remember that team

as a team without stars, because they were all stars.

But they were stars

who behaved as members of a group.

That's different.

It wasn't just a sporting event,

they were events that transcended sports,

national events.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS 2008

WORLD CHAMPIONS 2010

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS 2012

IN MEMORIAM

LUIS ARAGONÉS 7/28/1938 - 2/1/2014