Torres: Football is the winner, not only Spain

Published on Monday 30 June 2008 00:57

FERNANDO Torres described Spain's 1-0 victory over Germany in the Euro 2008 final last night as a dream come true after scoring the winner.

The 24-year-old striker set Spain on the way to their first major title in 44 years with a well-taken goal in the first half after a mix-up in the Germany defence.

Summing up the achievement, Torres said: "This is the most important title after the World Cup. I am going to enjoy this . . . this victory is good for football.

"It is a dream come true. It is our first title and we hope it is the first of many. We have to be ambitious as we still have the World Cup to come.

"At last justice has been done and the team that played the best football won the tournament.

"This has been a great victory for the whole team and all of Spain."

Torres broke the deadlock when he raced past Germany left back Philipp Lahm to meet a fine through-ball from Xavi and then dinked the ball over keeper Jens Lehmann 12 minutes before half time.

"It was a great pass from Xavi and the defender was over-confident and shouldn't have left it for Lehmann, and things worked out perfectly," Torres said.

Though this was his first winner in a major tournament final for the senior team, Torres is no stranger to scoring them for Spain in finals at youth level.

He struck a penalty to give Spain a 1-0 win over France in the final of the European Under-16 championship final in 2001 and 12 months later he scored the only goal in the 1-0 victory over Germany in the European Under-19 championship final.

Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas added that his country's victory was a triumph for "beautiful football".

"It was a long time since we have seen a team of that quality trying to play beautiful football – I don't think we've seen many teams have success (playing that way)," the Arsenal player said. "Finally, football has the success he deserves."

Of his feelings following the championship victory, Fabregas added: "This the best day of my life as a football player.

"I don't think we're conscious yet of what we have achieved. Forty-four years later we did it again.

"It's the best feeling you can have as a footballer. It's one of your dreams and I made it."

And Fabregas warned Spain will be just as strong when it comes to the World Cup in South Africa in two years' time.

"You can see how young we are, so hopefully in two years' time we will fight for the World Cup."

Michael Ballack ended on the losing side in a final again but Germany coach Joachim Low insisted his skipper deserves a winners' medal for his efforts during Euro 2008.

Ballack, 31, recovered from a calf injury to play against Spain at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium but it was Fernando Torres who settled the clash in Austria's capital with his strike in the 33rd minute.

It adds to Ballack's tag of being a "nearly man", after being suspended for the World Cup final in 2002 just after Bayer Leverkusen missed a trio of chances for silverware.

This season Manchester United pipped him to the Premier League and Champions League, and he finds himself the bridesmaid once more.

"I was glad when he and the physios indicated on the afternoon of the game that he could play," Low said. "It was important to have him on the pitch and good to have him there.

"He is very important for our team always and he did a lot of special things in this tournament.

"He was our leader and he represented the team and Germany superbly."

When asked if he deserved a medal, Low replied: "Yes, he does."

Low spoke to goalkeeper Jens Lehmann after the defeat but there were no discussions of retirement.

"I didn't speak to him about that," Low said. "I said 'congratulations, you played very well, the best in this tournament'," he said.

"He is also a leader in our team and very professional. I told him 'thank you' for what he did."

Low admitted Spain were worthy champions, adding: "I think we have to recognise the high quality of the Spanish players, they were playing very well during the whole tournament and they were technically excellent and had more chances than we had. So I think they deserved the victory.

"We are disappointed after the match but I think we can be satisfied with the tournament on the whole. The team was performing very well over the 45 days we've spent together."

Joyous fans lit flares and waved Spain's red and yellow flag as

35,000 spectators packed into the public viewing area at Madrid's Colon square.

Fireworks and car horns rang out across the Spanish capital after the final whistle blew.

"Thanks for being with us, I hope you all get drunk tonight!" Cesc Fabregas screamed into the television sets of fans watching across the country.

In the meantime, firefighters doused the crowds with water with the temperature nearing 30Cas the party spilled into the streets.

Similar scenes played out in viewing squares across the country and Spanish King Juan Carlos probably summed up all Spanish football fans' patient wait for a major achievement best.

"We suffered, but in the end, it was worth the pain," he told the Cuatro TV channel.