Child's play

Inaki Saez claims to know the squad he will lead out at Euro 2004 like the back of his hand, having led Spain's various youth teams to a string of glories before taking charge of the senior squad.

He was born Jose Ignacio Saez Ruiz in the Basque country in 1943 and went on to play as a defender at Athletic Bilbao for 12 years, graduating into the coaching staff.

Although he only won three international caps with Spain in 1968, he was a key player at club level and helped Bilbao finish second in the Spanish championship race in 1970.

The promise he showed coaching youth sides and the B team for Bilbao was eventually rewarded with a crack at the first team between 1986 and 1988 and again in the 1991-1992 season.

Sunnier climes then beckoned with three seasons at Las Palmas with various responsibilities ranging from technical director and manager of the football school. He took over the first team at Albacete for the 1995-96 season, but the team were relegated.

World Champion

The experience pushed Saez to return to coaching youth sides, landing the job as international trainer for the under-18's who he took to third place in the European Championships in 1997.

He then took the under-20's team to victory in the European Championships in 1998 and the World Championship in 1999, the crowning glory of his career so far.

He was in charge of the same group of young men at the Sydney Olympics of 2000, the side were hot favourites but were surprised by the Cameroon in the final.

A further scrape came at the Under-21 European Championships, where they were again runners up. Most notable amongst that side were Barcelona's Carles Puyol, while four or five others are also in the current senior squad.

Saez's success made him an obvious candidate when Jose Antonio Camacho quit the senior side after the 2002 World Cup.

His side was taken by suprise in the Euro 2004 qualifiers by eventual Group six winners Greece, and Spain had to see off Norway (5-1 agg) in the play-offs.

Saez is confident going to neighbouring Portugal for the finals claiming his side is solid and cohesive.