In the build up to Euro 2016, ThatsMags.com will be profiling Euro 2016 Shanghai Fans from all 24 countries taking part in the tournament in France. Representing La Roja is Voodoo FC funnyman Jorge Villena.
Spain, Group D
Opponents: Czech Republic, Turkey & Croatia
Odds: 5/1
Greatest moment ever?
Well, luckily, we don’t only have just one. Unlike my English friends who keep talking about the '66 being a good year (even when they weren’t even born to witness England achieve something in football) I can already count three wonderful moments:
1. In 2008, Torres scored a very well deserved goal against a strong team called Germany, the current world champions at the time. That was the beginning of what has been possibly one of the best generation of players ever! That goal made us Euro champions in 2008.
2. South Africa World Cup Final, extra time, two minutes to go to a penalty shoot-out…Iniesta (below) sent the karateka Dutch team home with the award they deserved: none! Winning a World Cup Final is a nice feeling, but against the dirtiest team EVER the victory tasted like glory.
3. And last but not least, to send the Italians back home flooded in tears, knowing that the ugliest style of football ever played had to come to an end with 4 goals in a final! I am, of course, referring to the 2012 Euro Final, making us current title holders.
There will be more!
Greatest Euros moment?
I can foresee it in the near future... Holland won’t be in France 2016. They will drive their caravans somewhere else this time.
Worst moment ever?
Believe it or not, I still have some Dutch friends that took the piss out of me for around a month when they beat us in 2012 in Brasil. The ugly truth is that we lost confidence for the rest of the tournament and had to go home. Can’t wait to get my revenge!
Worst Euros moment?
Every time we lose to the Italians. Not my favorite style of football…
Where you and your countrymen (and women) will be watching it in Shanghai?
At The Camel, of course. Great atmosphere, many, many TV sets and good food! Join me, dear readers, to laugh at England losing during penalty shootings, or just to Germany…again! It is always fun!
Song the fans sing?
This has changed recently. Luis Aragones (yes, you got it right, Thierry Henry’s number one fan, above) passed away recently. He started building what has been the best national team in our history. He used to say “Ganar, ganar y ganar!” which means “Win, win and win!”
I know, I know, it's not Shakespeare, not Cervantes either... but when he said it out loud it was very powerful. Atletico fans sing it, and at the time of writing, they are not doing bad at all, since they just found themselves in the Champions League Final, leaving behind them a strong Barca and a powerful Bayern Munich.
“Ganar, ganar y ganar!” I will make my English friends sing along in The Camel.
Biggest rivals?
Without a doubt, the world champions, Germany. They are always fit when the moment of truth comes. You can NEVER rule them out. France looks strong and plays at home, so we have to watch out and try to have them eat cheese and get fatter before the matches.
They say Belgium could make it... what a joke! Eddy Merck is the only thing they can talk about even now. Well, that and their delicatessen cuisine dish 'moules & frites.' This won’t change any time soon.
Star Man?
We are a team. I would not say at this moment there is a player much better than the rest. If you ask me, I would love for Iniesta to score one more time in a big final and play that magic football we have seen many times coming from his boots.
One to watch?
I would say Carvajal (above) is going to be one of the best players during this tournament. Only if selected, of course. It is not easy to make it in the first 11 of our team. We are not the Danish!
Bad Boy?
Buff…no doubt Diego Costa. He is talented, but nope. He spends longer trying to spit on other players than actually scoring goals, which should be his one and only…well…goal! I don’t want him to join our team for the Euros. He doesn’t represent our values. Iniesta surely does! [Ed - Jorge must have a direct line to Vicente del Bosque as Diego Costa was duly left out of the Spain squad]
Heart Throb?
In the past, I said Llorente. He has for a while been part of 'La Roja' but I doubt he’ll make it this time. The Heart Throb Award, then, goes to… Well, I am no woman, so I am not comfortable answering this question. No man is handsome in my eyes, and especially no German player. Perhaps that’s why they are the best?
So what are your chances?
Think about this. During the last three years, there have been two Spanish Champions League winners, one more to come in a few weeks time. Europa League? Sevilla just served up the same result for the third year in a row. We are current champions and know how to reach final stages of big tournaments and win them. Our changes are big, but having said this, I would like for Germany to have a bad day if we face them. Those guys know how to win, big time!
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