Spain’s dazzling displays have united a nation and England hold no fear

* Selección has found new support in the Basque country
* Rodri should have won the Ballon d’Or, according to fans




Dani Vivian appeared in the room wearing the shirt from the last time Spain played England at the Euros, but when he was asked how the country lived it then and what it might mean for the final now, he shot back “I can’t say, I hadn’t even been born”, leaving everyone falling about. The summer of 1996 is retro chic down here in Donaueschingen, the moment when football was supposed to come home, providing the off-field clobber for the selección. Now 28 – yes, 28 – years later, they meet again. This time in Berlin, the trophy within reach.

“I’m sure it was lived with passion then, like football always is in Spain,” Vivian added, and it certainly is this time. The Athletic Club centre-back revealed that the families of the players have been trying to charter a flight to the final. Meanwhile he welcomed “normal” viewing figures showing that the selección has found support in the Basque country, where it has not always been embraced, and claimed that the Manchester City midfielder Rodri should have already won the Ballon d’Or. Continue reading...

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