Summary: Phil and Anto are joined by spanish football columnist and commentator Sid Lowe in the afterglow of an historic achievement by the Spanish national team having captured its third straight major championship while defending its European title in Kiev. We examine the victory in terms of its context and how Spain as a football nation was able to overcome a reputation as a perennial under-achiever to becoming the standard bearer in terms of international dominance in the sport and what might be some of the factors that could derail them in the future. We also look at their achievement within the influence of their coach, Vicente del Bosque, who has successfully navigated this team of highly competitive players from two very competitive clubs and forge an identity built not only at Barcelona but also of Real Madrid in its spine and how he may have already begun a sense of transition with Spain that should serve the national team well in coming years. Also discussed is the tournament itself in terms of organization and how perceptions in advance of the games themselves proved largely sensationalized, given how media access may indeed be quite different than the fan experience, We also gauge a team in Spain that has continued to win at every level for club and country and begin to ask the question how much more can be expected from a generation that has refused to wilt under any pressure or in the face of any challenge, but may at some point suddenly falter because of the energy are expended to achieve such astonishing results.
