Can Spain buck Euro curse?

Jun 21, 2010 - Rohit Bhaskar |

JOHANNESBURG

Spain went into to the tournament much in the spirit of Don Quixote. After a 0-1 loss to Switzerland in their first match the mood in the camp is much in the spirit of Sancho Panza.
In order to get their World Cup aspirations back on track the Iberians will not only need three points in their clash against Honduras at Ellis Park on Tuesday, but also seek to blunt the curse which has struck European champions at the World Cup.
Europe is home to the most professional and organised football on the planet, it is also home to some of the most decorated national teams in the sport’s history. Putting one and one together it would seem pretty simple to assume that the best team on the continent would automatically be in the running for the best in the world. Well, reality isn’t that simple.
The only time Europe’s champions have gone on to win the World Cup was back in 1974, when Der Kaiser was calling the shots and led 1972 Euro champs West Germans to victory on home soil. The performance of Euro champions at recent World Cups makes for even less impressive reading.
Greece showed great collective spirit to win Euro 2004, but a couple of years later were a no-show at the World Cup — having failed to even qualify for the event.
Then world champions France added the European Championship to their trophy cabinet in 2000. Two years on, they crashed out in the first round when the the tournament was played in Asia.
Oliver Bierhoff shot to fame striking the winner for the Germans at Euro96 held in England, but at France ’98 he failed to inspire an ageing squad beyond the quarterfinals.
Another Euro champion team failing to qualify for the World Cup were Denmark, who remarkably participated in Euro92 only after a wildcard entry following the break up of Yugoslavia into five different states.
If Spain recovers from their poor start and make a deep run they will not only have to overcome their under-performing ways on the biggest stage — but also negate the curse of the European Champions at the World Cup

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