A Spanish delight!

A Spanish delight that left the world of sports in awe! This simply put was what this European force in sports, Spain provided to the sporting fans all over the world. If Carlos Alcaraz has given sufficient indication of a rising tennis legend with his second Wimbledon crown, having won it the first time last year, for his 4th Grand Slam success overall already at age 21, then the footballers hours later on the same day added to the feast with the success in the Euro Championship for a record fourth time. Spain could not have asked for anything more to keep its sports flag flying high.

Indeed, it was simply a magical display by the young Alcaraz that fittingly lit up the hallowed centre court at Wimbledon and left the thousands watching and the many millions all over the world glued to the television sets, spellbound. Only a year ahead but enriched by many more match-wins on the way, the Spaniard had struggled but never gave up against the same opponent, the redoubtable Novak Djokovic. The struggle for supremacy then in a final that never seemed to end notwithstanding, Alcaraz had edged the Serb in five sets. But that was past, the new refreshed ‘machine’ that he had looked, at was unstoppable as he downsized the legend to the extent that many had already predicted the emergence of a new era. Djokovic it must be said was on the lookout for his 25th and record Grand Slam title, a historic moment and his 8th Wimbledon title to equal Roger Federer’s record. As it happened, he was left to cut a sorry figure by a youngster who just swept him off the court!

For someone who can be miserly when it comes to conceding points, Djokovic just could not believe what he had witnessed. True the strap around his knee, something that he had to wear as protection after a recent surgery, was sufficient indication of his difficulty but the 37-year-old had hardly allowed that to come his way as he coursed through to the summit round, reminding everyone of the earlier year when he had won three majors, the ATP tour final and finished the season as number 1 for a record eighth time. But all this faded in the face of the fierce Alcaraz whose devastating forehand that stood out, not just for the speed and length but accuracy. Commentators on the TV, all former stalwarts in the sport were mostly stupefied by the Spaniard’s ability to make the ball talk! It is not often that one gets to see Djokovic get rooted to the spot but Alcaraz had the great man watch his returns whistle past. Suffice it to state, that Alcaraz’s vintage show has given sufficient indication of the present and the future.

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Hours later came the next course of the Spanish feast, so to say! The entertainers lived up to their reputation as a team to watch. The Euros provided the setting for Spain to regain some of the lost ground in the sport over the recent years. The last World Cup in Qatar was a tearful memory as the nation was pushed out early by Morocco. But this one-time force in football had different plans this time. With Luis De La Fuente who had done much to the junior level in Spanish football, taking over as Head Coach, the new thinking had come into play. If in the earlier years, Spanish football was on the shoulders of such greats like Andres Iniesta, Ramos, Xavi, Gerard Pique, Xabi Alonso and the like when the nation tasted success at different times the switch was now on to the young blood like the outstanding Lamine Yamal, just 17years and Nico Williams, 22 years among others. Who would have thought that youngsters like them would provide stunners at this age on a world stage? But that was how belief worked. They really made heads turn on the Euro stage, simply put.

For Spain, it was not an easy journey in what turned out to be a difficult draw the task included getting past the 2022 World Cup semifinalist Croatia, holders Italy, hosts Germany and France, the pre-tournament favourite.  But the stamp of class came there in doing that. It must be said, that Yamal’s stunning strike to become the youngest-ever Euros goalscorer that highlighted Spain’s shocking win over France underlined the mood of the La Roja there and then. As England coach Southgate was to say, he believed Spain was the best team and to his discomfiture that was to prove true in the title round when England bit the dust. Once again Yamal had a hand, not in scoring but setting up for Williams to finish it off in style.

Several years ago the then legend-to-be Lionel Messi had cuddled a baby in his arms for a photo shoot of a charity calendar. The curly-headed Messi rose on to become what he is but who would have thought that the baby Yamal, as it turned out, would imbibe his greatness so early! The young Spanish talent is already become the talking point in world football and if the Euros 2024 is any indication to be sure there is much that will be heard of Yamal as the seasons go by.  Already he is the youngest to have played for Spain and the youngest ever in the European championship.

In this mood of Spanish triumph, a word of sympathy for England which continues to wait for its next big moment in football after the 1966 success in the World cup.  Poor Southgate, after being England's Manager for close to a decade and seeing the country rising tantalizingly close to grabbing a title in various events, could only see another disappointment hit him. Enough for him to decide to step down!