Spain

Spain sneak in the back door to join party

Spanish players pose during a Euro 2004 first leg playoff match at Mestalla stadium in Valencia 15 November 2003 (Top LtoR): Iker Casillas, Carlos Marchena, Ivan Helguera, David Albelda, Ruben Baraja and Fernando Torres. (Down, From LtoR) Michel Salgado, Jose Antonio Reyes, Raul Gonzalez, Joseba Etxeberria and Carles Puyol. AFP PHOTO/ Javier SORIANO

Spain will join the party in Portugal but had to beat Norway (5-1 agg) in the play-offs to do so.

They can now look forward to another crack at the elusive major title, the 1964 European Championship representing their only previous tournament win and keeping them off pundits' lists of favourites.

In the first round of the finals Spain will again meet qualifying rivals Greece, aswell as Portugal and Russia.

Greece won Group 6 after a 1-0 win over Spain in Seville. Portugal however were thrashed 3-0 in Spain in a 2003 friendly, while 'weak link' Russia are an unknown quantity.

Spain are a regular player at the European championships, 2004 being their sixth tournament in seven editions, tasting glory with a 2-1 win over the USSR in the final in Madrid nearly 40 years ago.

The World Cup has been a regular source of disappointment to Spain.

They were humiliated at the 1998 World Cup, eliminated in the first round and then ran into some suspicious refereeing in 2002 when South Korea somehow conjured up a quarter-final win via the lottery of a penalty-shootout.

That defeat ended the era of coach Jose Antonio Camacho, who resigned and was replaced by the current man in the Spanish hotseat Inaki Saez.

Four decades of suffering

The joy of beating Germany 3-1 and Ecuador 4-0 in friendlies was only an illusion. They were stunned by Greece before finally spluttering their way into the play-offs.

Saez has maintained confidence in Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas while Santiago Casillas of Valencia battles to regain his place lost on account of a freak injury, when he dropped a bottle of aftershave on his foot prior to Asia.

In defence, veteran Fernando Hierro has retired from the international scene paving the way for the likes of Puyol (Barcelona), or Real duo Michel Salgado and Ivan Helgura to shore up the back four.

The midfield for Spain has been the most common area of change. Ruben Baraja and Vicente (Valencia) are the usual first-team choices for Saez although the veteran Joseba Etxeberria (Athletic Bilbao) continues to join the mix.

The attack is led by Real star and team captain Raul, now often supported by rising talent Fernando Torres of cross-town rivals Atletico.

Spain turn out teams lavished with talent yet that first major title in 40 years continues to elude them. Whether they can finally get it right in Portugal, remains to be seen.

Factfile on Spain

Population

40.03 million

Area

504,782 km2

Capital

Madrid

Currency

Euro

Federation

Real Federacion Espanola de Futbol, (Spanish Football Federation) founded in 1913

Affiliated to FIFA

1904

Affiliated to UEFA

1954

Registered players

671,581

Colours

Red shirts, blue shorts, black socks

Top clubs

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Deportivo la Corona, Valencia, Real Sociedad

World Cup appearances

11 (1934, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002)

World Cup honours

4th (1950), Quarter-finals (1934, 1986, 1994, 2002), Second round (1990)

European Championship appearances

7 (1964, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004)

European Championship honours

Winner (1964), Finalists (1984), Quarter-finalists (1996, 2000)

How they qualified

Finished runners-up in Group 6 with 17 points (5 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat, 16 goals for, 4 against) behind Greece (18 pts) and ahead of Ukraine (10pts), Armenia (7pts) and Northern Ireland (3pts). Then qualified by beating Norway in the two-legged play-offs, 5-1 on aggregate

Key players

Raul, Ivan Helguera, Puyol, Michel Salgado.

Coach

Inaki Saez