Introduction

Abstract

When I first began to toy with the idea of writing this book in the spring of 2008, the Spanish national football team, the selecciόn española, was internationally known for one thing: underachievement. Unlike Spanish clubs, distinguished by their international success, the selecciόn showed fighting spirit but ultimately performed below expectations. Spain was the incarnation of a delusional Don Quixote tilting at windmills, uncompromising but hopeless and condemned to fail. By the time I finished the book, almost five years later, Spain were considered to be one of the best teams of all time. They had won Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, playing modern, stylish and highly sophisticated football. No other national team had attained three major tournaments in a row in the history of the game and few squads had reached the quality and artistry of the Spaniards. Don Quixote had died. Spaniards were now the personification of modernity, flair, teamwork and panache. Crucially, these descriptions of the Spanish national team were not just mere depictions of footballers but the portrayal of national characteristics allegedly embodied by the selecciόn española. Through football commentary, the media re-elaborated the narrative about Spanish national identity. By associating a number of national features, myths and stereotypes with the selecciόn española and correlating playing styles to the psychological and cultural characteristics of the nation, football reporting played a key role in the discursive construction of Spain.