Sensational Spain slay ghosts of the past with Euro triumph

They've been called the England of continental Europe, the great underachievers, the only real rivals we have when it comes to serial bottling.

But not any more, not after a night of glory that set the seal on a tournament that was sensational.

And while the predatory finishing from Fernando Torres that ended 44 years of pain was honed by the special demands the Premier League makes on every player, Spain last night made England's constant disappointments all the more graphic.

While the ghosts of '66 still swirl around the Three Lions, in Spain they have been haunted by what Luis Suarez's team did two years earlier.

Yet as Germany wilted under the sheer weight of their attacking intent, Spain had the thing that has been missing through those years - the belief they were good enough to win.

That is the crucial factor, the element Fabio Capello has to instil in his men over the next two years, one that proved too strong even for Michael Ballack and the rest of Germany's remorseless machine to resist.

Even if he can though, it is hard to believe we will ever see an England team pass opponents to death with the quality and talent Spain have shown since they cut Russia to pieces in their opening game three weeks ago.

The lessons are there, and close to home. In September 2005, England's defeat in Belfast was a lightning rod for what happened in Germany the following summer.

But when coach Luis Aragones survived despite offering his resignation after David Healy's sensational hat-trick gave the Irish an even more remarkable triumph 12 months later, it became a pivotal moment in Spanish football history.

Aragones kept his job, but changed his team, stripping out the likes of Raul and David Albelda, bringing in new faces like Cesc Fabregas and Marcos Senna.

More importantly, he changed the ethos too, decided it was time his team were inspired by their heritage, rather than weighed down by the burden of failures.

Last night, as Xavi and Andres Iniesta wove their pretty patterns, Fabregas kept on probing, Senna stopped Michael Ballack from having the influence he needed for Germany to win, Vienna played host to a Spanish fiesta that capped a great tournament with great champions.

The only surprise - and Jens Lehmann performed heroics behind a ropey rearguard - was it was just the one goal that split the teams.

No surprise, though, about the identity of the scorer.

When Torres arrived at Anfield last summer, even Rafa Benitez could not be certain "El Nino" would live up to the burden of expectations that arrived with his £26.5million price-tag from Atletico Madrid.

Ten months and 33 goals later, we all know how good he is and if Germany had forgotten, they were made to remember for years and years to come.

Allowing Senna to feed Xavi in the hole was a bad mistake in itself, but even with Torres timing his run, Philipp Lahm should have been decisive to kill off the danger.

Instead, after getting between Torres and the ball, he stopped, assuming Lehmann would get there and looking on helpless as the Anfield striker easily made up the ground to poke past the keeper and send the ball into the corner of the net.

It was no more than Spain deserved, even then. Although Germany had made inroads down the Spanish right, Joachim Loew's side failed to trouble Iker Casillas.

And once Spain settled down, they had so much more to offer.

Lehmann made a great reaction stop after Iniesta saw his shot ping wildly off Christoph Metzelder and was then bailed out by his post when Torres easily outjumped the other woeful centre-back, Per Mertesacker.

The second half was a similar story, Lehmann having to repel advance after advance.

Iniesta shot at the keeper after an effort was cleared off the line by Torsten Frings.

While Spain, so faithful to their principles, kept on playing, kept on passing, kept on looking for angles and imagination, Germany resorted to hit-and-hope long balls.

"Ole! Ole! Ole!" chanted the Spanish fans, finally witnessing what they had believed would never come.

That is how to play football, Don Fabio. Keep the ball, yes. But always try to do something positive, try to attack, try to score. Because if you can win like that you earn the right to celebrate.

And as Casillas lifted the trophy from Michel Platini's hands, Spain earned that right more than anybody could have predicted.

Germany: Lehmann, Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm (Jansen 46), Hitzlsperger (Kuranyi 58), Frings, Podolski, Ballack, Schweinsteiger, Klose (Gomez 79).

Spain: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Marchena, Capdevila, Senna, Iniesta, Fabregas (Alonso 63), Xavi, Silva (Santi Cazorla 66), Torres (Guiza 78).