After the brilliant trilogy that meant winning Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, the Spanish team fell into an almost inevitable stagnation at the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new chapter. They did not make it past the group stage of the 2014 World Cup, they reached the round of 16 of the 2016 Euro Cup and the 2018 World Cup and it was only from then on, with the arrival of Luis Enrique, that he began to rebuild a solid base and with the practical objective of winning titles.

The former Barcelona coach, who had to interrupt his duties as national coach for a few months due to his daughter’s serious illness, It has been the guiding thread of the transition between the group that won it all a decade ago and the new generation that is determined to take care of the team. If Busquets, Carvajal and Jordi Alba are the main resisters who evoke the memory of Del Bosque or even Aragonés, players like Pedri, Gavi or Nico Williams celebrated these achievements since they were children.

Spain reached the semifinals of Euro 2020, reached the final of the last League of Nations and it is increasingly clear that it is in the midst of a revitalization process. In Qatar, Luis Enrique has the best chance yet to achieve his first great success as a manager and bring out the best in a team that has winning DNA but has long been away from major decisions.

This article is exclusive to our subscribers: subscribe now and benefit from unlimited reading and other benefits. If you are already a subscriber, log in here. If you think this message is an error, please contact our customer service.