Spain's historic win

2012 was all about the London Olympics, but there were also other notable incidents that stood out in the year. Here's a look at the sportspersons and moments of the year that made headlines.

By Bikash Singh | Yahoo! India News – Tue 27 Nov, 2012 5:23 PM IST



David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata ensured Spain become the first team ever to retain the European Championship, winning the World Cup between the two continental triumphs in a showcase of sublime passing and ruthless finishing. The magical Andres Iniesta was named the player of the Euro 2012 for helping the Spanish side thrash Italy 4-0 in the finals.

"We are talking about a great generation of footballers. They have roots. They know how to play because they come from a country that knows how to play,” said coach Vicente Del Bosque. He also became the first coach to win the World Cup, the European Championship and the Champions League. Such was their domination throughout that Spain conceded only one goal in the entirety of Euro 2012 - in their very first group-stage match against Italy for which they punished them severely.

The winners of 1968 had to play the final half hour with 10 men after Thiago Motta limped off with a hamstring strain. The victory was also the biggest in a European Championship final, beating West Germany's 3-0 win over Soviet Union in 1972. They have often been termed 'boring' but the depth of Spain's domination over the last four years will be tough for any other team to duplicate.

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