Comment from Bobby
Time: June 30, 2008, 12:48 am

Congrats to all fans of Spain football. That was an impressive win. Germany looked defeated and desperate by the time the 70th minute came around. Enjoy victory Spain! You earned it.

Comment from Geoff Harrison
Time: June 30, 2008, 1:16 am

Same story in Barcelona tonight; the city is going wild. I’ve only ever seen excitement like this before when Barcelona have been playing. Great to see a team win a championship by playing exciting, entertaining football (just a shame we didn’t get to see them playing Holland!).

Comment from Bill
Time: June 30, 2008, 1:31 am

@Geoff - I totally agree. Spain have deservedly won every match they played - a perfect example of how to go about winning an international tournament. A triumph for the beautiful passing game that the Spanish have always strived to achieve.

Comment from Jambro
Time: June 30, 2008, 4:23 am

Viva España! Tears welled in my eyes as I watch the great Spanish team scored. Its a well-deserved win indeed.

Comment from Elaine
Time: June 30, 2008, 5:10 am

Not much sleep, eh? We escaped Paris on the night of the WC final in 1998. Not far enough. We spent the night in Geneva, more like east France than west Switzerland. Our hotel was on the main drag in town, and it was atypically warm, so our windows had to stay open. I think the car horns finally slowed down a bit after 4am. It’s probably been like that in Madrid tonight, no?

Comment from Jonathan
Time: June 30, 2008, 6:19 am

I was standing watching with a friend of Fernando Torres’ father the moment when the trophy was handed over. He’s watched the great Fernando growing up, and he was visibly moved. Great that the team playing the best football actually won for once.

Comment from Clint
Time: June 30, 2008, 6:35 am

Also nice to see that the winning team didn’t have to resort to “diving” and other poor sportsmanship in order to get an advantage, as is the unfortunate common tactic in European play. Spain won fair and square, and played a tough but gentlemanly game.

Comment from Ray
Time: June 30, 2008, 7:59 am

Is that what all that racket was?

Comment from Maria S.
Time: June 30, 2008, 8:53 am

Congratulations, Spain!!!

The German team really looked tired against the Spanish.
We watched the game last night in a small Cretan village called Gavalochori and, of course, we were the only ones in the tavern rooting for Germany. We were brave, I know.
The Germans did not play well, but I still enjoyed the game and its atmosphere, the wine, the moans from the Greek over a lost pass…
The first European cup for the Spanish in 44 years!!!
Viva España!

Comment from Pepino
Time: June 30, 2008, 9:20 am

@Geoff Harrison: Yep, I’ve no been in BCN long enough to have something to compare to, but I’m reliably informed that national football successes aren’t normally celebrated that much here, but that this has been a big exception. Not sure why things have changed.

I didn’t watch the match, but I knew the result from all the racket outside! jeje. The fireworks and carhorns kept me awake until the early hours. In work now with lots of tired faces around the office…. yawn…

Comment from Edith
Time: June 30, 2008, 9:31 am

There wasn’t much of a racket here, dunno how many people have been watching the game. But hey! ¡Viva España!

Comment from bill
Time: June 30, 2008, 9:37 am

@Pepino - national football successes haven’t been celebrated much in Madrid either for the past 44 years - there simply haven’t been any!

Now all we need is for England to improve a bit and then they can take on the role of perennial underachievers.

Comment from frank
Time: June 30, 2008, 9:41 am

“@Pepino - national football successes haven’t been celebrated much in Madrid either for the past 44 years - there simply haven’t been any!”

Ya era hora! Enhorabuena.

Comment from Pepino
Time: June 30, 2008, 9:53 am

@Bill: Nice one! I love a bit of obvious common sense!

I don’t follow football whatsoever, and don’t like it at all, but I notice that El Gran Wyoming has made a big running joke out of following Portugal this year on his TV comedy show El Intermedio, as he was sick of having his hopes dashed on Spain’s inevitable loss in the Quarter finals. It’ll be worth tuning in tonight so see how he eats humble pie now!

Comment from Bella
Time: June 30, 2008, 10:12 am

I supported Spain throughout the tournament! I knew they could do it! They played some great football! The germans didn’t know what had hit them! Their defence was terrible! Well done Spain, you deserve it! Nice to see the king and queen of Spain there at the match, I don’t think Queen Elizabeth would go to any of the England team games!

Comment from Parubin
Time: June 30, 2008, 10:23 am

A happy end for a formidable soccer tournament …

Spain never , in any game, left any doubts as to who’s the boss, except for maybe the drama of the penalty shootout with Italy.

Last night final was another demonstration of topclass football.

So bad the World Cup does not kick off till 2010. couldn’t it start next week??

The pound of happiness seems to be a little pricey these days, so thank you lads for all the emotions you’ve given us for free in this last month.

No one will be spared from their daily routines, problems and what not, but as we say in Spain : ¡Que me quiten lo “bailao”!.

Comment from richardksa
Time: June 30, 2008, 10:27 am

“I don’t think Queen Elizabeth would go to any of the England team games!”
She certainly wouldn’t be interviewed te way the King and the Felipe was. I was sure Letiza wanted to add her four centivos too, but the interviewer ignored her. Sofia however, just seemed a bit bemused by it all.

Comment from luke
Time: June 30, 2008, 10:29 am

!!a por ellos OE, a por ellos OE!!

Comment from frank
Time: June 30, 2008, 11:57 am

"I don’t think Queen Elizabeth would go to any of the England team games!”

What makes you say that, you clearly know nothing about her duties. She attended the World Cup in London, she has attended FA Cup Finals, she attends Ascot every year, Wimbledon plus many many other sporting events. The Princes are patrons and regulars at rugby internationals. She is probably very bored by them, but I guess her schedule is a lot busier than Juan Carlos’s.

Comment from Ben
Time: June 30, 2008, 12:11 pm

@Frank . I’m sure Juan Carlos has just as busy a schedule. Please ease up on the provocative comments, I’ve had to delete three threatening comments directed towards you from the same Spanish person in the last two days, which is tiresome.

Comment from hellothere
Time: June 30, 2008, 12:13 pm

The Spanish team played well, the Germans, not so much. The Spaniards earned their victory: well done, Spain!

¡Viva la Roja!

Comment from Brendan
Time: June 30, 2008, 1:28 pm

So great to see the Spanish football team overcome the ghosts of the past and secure a much deserved win!

Comment from Marina
Time: June 30, 2008, 2:14 pm

I did watch the match, the final and the previous two in fact, and I don’t know what happened but I’ve end up enjoyed them… However, I have to say that what I enjoyed the most was to see the football players in their pants celebrating with the ‘Cuatro’ TV presenter;-)))

Comment from Geoff Harrison
Time: June 30, 2008, 3:24 pm

@Pepino: Sure, from what I’ve learned the relationship between Catalans and the national team is an uneasy one, but there’s no doubt that a lot of my Catalan friends here took a lot of pride in the result last night, especially with 3 players from Barcelona in the starting line up.

Comment from ValenciaSon
Time: June 30, 2008, 4:59 pm

I think I’m the only person on my block who watched the game yesterday.

Comment from Lisa
Time: June 30, 2008, 6:05 pm

Having endured the weird looks of my neighbours as my house became increasingly decorated with Spain flags, posters and bunting over the last weeks, I was so excited I ran up and down the garden screaming last night. Restrained myself from running up and down the road wrapped i my Spain flag, but I have to admit that I’ve worn my shirt with pride again today!
Here in England, the Spain win is a very popular one - I’ve met very few people who didn’t want them to win - and they had German relatives so they had a reason!!
the kids at school were all completely behind Spain and are ecstatic - we all jumped up and down and chanted campeones today!!!

Comment from DH Wall
Time: July 1, 2008, 4:18 pm

Spain now has bragging rights for a long time. I’m still celebrating and look forwards to the World Cup.

Comment from richardksa
Time: July 1, 2008, 4:53 pm

@DH Wall:”Spain now has bragging rights for a long time. I’m still celebrating and look forwards to the World Cup.”
Which echo the sentiments of the coach this morning at a presentation at Moncloa. He claims Spain has not just the best team in Europe, but in the world.
But then he would say that, wouldn’t he?