It's Germany, not Spain, having the inquisition

Despite historical precedent, it’ll be Germany, not Spain, who’ll be having the inquisition after this one. Spain were just too good for them.

Those Spanish fans who turned up in bullfighter-gear got the mood exactly right. Germany seemed to decide the only way to stop the sweet-passing Spaniards was to muscle them out of the game, but they ended up looking like a snorting, angry bull charging a slinky, side-stepping matador.

Mind you, the Spanish team nearly ruined the whole evening. Deciding to throw doddery old Luis Aragones above their heads, as part of the post-match celebrations, was a risk to say the least.

The stiff, pale old body bouncing above their shrieking faces was unnervingly reminiscent of the Ayatollah Khomeni’s funeral.

And, stadium-music person, if you must play We Are the Champions when a team has just won the European Championships, I’d suggest, in the interests of accuracy, you fade it before Freddie Mercury says ‘of the world’.

Still, it was a top-notch tournament with top-notch winners.

Adios, amigos.

Comments

[José]

I'm from Spain, I’m 25 years old and I like bullfighting. The bullfighting is a great cultural costum and I invite all people that criticize it come to see the spectacle and judge after. Spanish people respect people and animals but we have our cultural costumes and people have to respect it. Sorry

[Derf Regnirts]

Yes let´s all stand up and congratulate Spain for it´s magnificient football and stop the crass comments on bullfighting or racism, the British have to remember there are other customs that pertain to other countries, for better or for worse, and stop judging others by their own passé, ignominious and bigotted attitudes especially so by so called journalists

[andreas, cologne]

thanks frank for putting up this blog over the past weeks!
lots of brilliant posts (joachim from the block, ha!). when i read the aragones-ayatollah thing i really fell off my chair laughing.

[Dean]

Bravo to the spanish.
It was a victory for football.
They played a beautiful, silky, slick game and deserved to win.
Bull fighting has nothing to do with it!
The celebration great!. Viva Espana

[Narobe]

As a fellow told me, I'm here to serve God, Luis Aragones, and Manolete.
I like bullfighting. I'm in my 30's I don't consider myself old, it's not a topic, it's a reality more than 20,000 people work directly for the "industry". I don't now how many people go to a fight yearly, but the rings are full, tickets are sold out.

[Rafael]

Please, stop topics and help us to abolish this cruel torture. Also we don't like bullfighting in our country. People here are friendly and most of us enjoy a lot with football and we don't need more bullfighting.

[antonio]

i am spanish , and i hate bull-fighting and bull-fighters too, only some elderly people like bull-fighting. We are a modern country like yours o even more in many cases.
Greets

[DJB, Brighton, England]

"If you had a coach as good as Mr. Aragones, England would have been @ the Cup"

Well, no, actually, If if we'd had Arogones as a coach he would have been fired years ago for making disgustingly racist remarks about certain players. England may not be European champions, but at least OUR game isn't riddled with racism. For the record, I wanted spain to win, they played the better football and their players, without exception, are very likable. In my oppinion, the only drawback of Spain winning is that a disgraceful man like Arogones should be hailed as a hero. KICK RACISM OUT OF FOOTBALL.

[Laia]

jaumet : It's heart-attack and by the way I'm from Barcelona , Catalunya region and we do have bull-fights here or do you think that La Monumental bullring is used for selling daysies? check out the bill for July 08: http://www.torosbarcelona.com/

Anyway, who cares? this is about football and about a great performance by Spain. I watched the final in Istanbul and it was very touching to see big screens in all the packed bar and restaurant terraces and all turks cheering for Spain. Olé!!

[nicki, california,usa]

i enjoy British humor most of the time, but
"Frankly Frank", you missed the point. If you had a coach as good as Mr. Aragones, England would have been @ the Cup, and you would have bounce him to the heavens.
What has the Ayatollah to do with this?
You'd better get a better writer.

[Maga]

To be honest Frank, we don´t care about what you think about our celebration. You were not invited.

[carlos barciela]

I'm spanish. I don't like the bullfighting al all.I think the "fiesta" is very cruel.
Please help us to finish with this shame.
Carlos

[Olmo Heras]

Spain did't win the Euro 2008. Football won it!! 1-0 was a too short score.

Viva España!!

[Ricar]

Spain is much more than bullfighting but I like it. Before the fight bullfighters says, "suerte, vista y al toro!" (Luck, seeing and to the bull!) Maybe in a couple of years we´ll listen Freddie Mercury´s song on the streets of Madrid. Sorry it´s the joy of victory.

[Anne]

Hey, MJ! I'm Spanish, too. I don't like bullruns either. However, the comparison is right in my opinion. German players were upset because of the high technical game played by our team, and they -Germans- looked like angry bulls. That's it, a beautiful tale told by Fran Skinner with the highest respect to us. Thanks, Frank!

[joni]

Viva España...ole...ole..ole

[Jaumet]

Thanks Frank for your comments. I don't like to see my country displayed with the topics of bull-fighting, matador, and etcetera, because I'm a part of the population who is strongly against animal torture, but I admit that this topic is perfectly fit for us from foreign eyes, because every single city and little village in the country, with the exception of Catalonia, celebrates anything with bullfighting. And we do exactly the same with the topics of other countries, so if you give anything, you get the same. Some spanish commentators said the same as you about the spanish coach, Luis Aragones, being lifted high, they were afraid he will be hurt or have a heart-ache for this. ; )

[JD]

Do you remember when Tony Adams hosted Steve Morrow above his head in 1993 after one of the two cup finals they played against Sheffield Wednesday (can't remember which one it was, but I think it was the League Cup rather than the FA Cup) and dropped him? Morrow broke his arm. Now that was funny! Not for Steve obviously...

[Jorge]

I thought that english people had a strange sense of humour but I just realized that they just have strange envy to the rest of the world.

P.S. Which was the England Team position in the Euro 2008? Oh, sorry, I forgot...you didnt get the classification.

[LUIS]

BULLFIGHTER YEAHHH ; IT´S GREAT

[Marisol]

Yes, pretty stupid and out of place that photo.
Please Frank, get yourself updated about Spain.
And me too, I don't like bullfighting.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!!!

[Monica]

I am tired with that image you the English have of Spain. I'm Spanish and I HATE bullfighting!!!

[UTP]

Well yeah it was kinda tough watching the old coach jumping off...but it was their moment....they deserved to win....

[Mlosal]

Talking just about football, I have a question:
¿What team do you think have played best football in this Euro 2008?
Maybe Greece, last Europe´s champion?
No, they had not done anything good since Partenon.
Maybe Italy, last World´s champion?
Good spaghetti, but horrible football
Or maybe England...(sorry, I don´t remember any match played by England in this Euro 2008). Anyway don´t worry, english team are able to borrow us the cup to keep it wiht them, just like Gibraltar years ago. We have the Inquisition and bullfighting but, Is in vane that you remember Francis Drake as a national hero?

[James]

Brilliant set of posts Frank. Thoroughly enjoyed them. Here's hoping to a regular column in The Game to mark the return of West Brom to the Premiership!

[from cricklewood]

We are not the world champions, but after 44 years, let us live... and from Spain, thanks England for your support. Specially Shearer!!

[I can't believe]

I hate bullfighting, you don't need to see it and don't need to see thing about if you don't want, that's it!. We are not seeing or playing bullfighting and dancing flamenco, a dance typical JUST from Andalucia, in the others comunities (several more) nobody know to dance this type of dance, we have anothers dance, not more beautiful or less, differents, nothing similar. This is just ideas that foreigners people have about us, but believe the reality is totally different and less stupid.

[Carnivore but nice with it.]

Normally I do not wish to see competitors hurt at sporting events, but on the only occasion I watched bullfighting, I did hope that would see the bull's horn go straight through the matador's leg artery. The bull had been cruelly weakened in the early stages, with nerves and muscle severed to limit his opportunity to do any real damage. Bullfighting is a mismatch. Think of putting Steve Bull against Fabregas in a skills competition, when the former has been hamstrung. Bullfighting is a dreadful spectacle and a cruel way of getting a cut of meat for the stew pot. (I don't think fighting bull beef barbecues well).

[Rob]

Top-notch reporting Frank over the last three weeks! I did think that Aragones had died the way his body was slumping as it was caught. That would have provided a strange end ceremony and one that Sepp surely wouldn't have wanted. Thanks for the fun and how about a season long podcast eh?

[MJ]

Spain is much more than bullfighting!! Many spaniards like me hate bull-fighting and bull-fighters!

It is stupid from you to place this photo here.

¡¡¡Viva la selección española!!!

[Agustin]

Frank, I almost fully agree with what you say. But: only those who don't understand bullfighting (and I admit not to be an expert), would say that the bullfighter 'side-steps'. They hardly ever do that. The trick in bullfighting is precisely to drive the bull with the cloth around your body, but the matador shouldn't move. And... yes, we are the champions of... Europe! Thanks Frank.