Defending champion Spain at ease with favorite status

Spain's supporters cheer before the start of their friendly match against China leading up to Euro 2012 in Seville on Sunday. [Photo/Agencies]

Group C

Spain shook off the tag of inveterate also-ran to triumph at Euro 2008 and winning a first World Cup two years later secured its undisputed status as the team to beat in international soccer.

However, it will have to rewrite soccer's record books if it is to keep its European title in Poland and Ukraine this summer. No country has ever retained the Henri Delauney Trophy and no team, on any continent, has won three major tournaments in a row.

The Iberian nation used to be haunted by the "curse of the quarters" - at the European Championships of 1996 and 2000 and at the World Cups of 1994 and 2002 the last eight had proved a bitter stumbling block.

Fans feared the worst at Euro 2008 when then world champion Italy battled to a 0-0 draw to force a quarterfinal penalty shootout but that was when Spain's luck changed and Iker Casillas's saves sent it through.

Released from its jinx and flush with self-belief, it swept on to the title and followed up its success in Austria and Switzerland with a less spectacular, but equally efficient, performance to win the World Cup in South Africa.

Under coach Vicente del Bosque, it continues to win plaudits for its slick possession play, attacking flair and solid defense and is firm favorite to become the first nation to win back-to-back continental titles with a World Cup in between.

"Of course we are favorites due to the fact that we are the reigning European and world champions and it seems that is something we can't shake off," a smiling Del Bosque said.

"But Netherlands and Germany, who were second and third in the World Cup, are also clear favorites, all the more so because of their impeccable Euro 2012 qualifying runs," the former Real Madrid coach and player said.

"Then you have England, Italy, France, Portugal, they all have excellent players.

"And in these relatively short championships it can happen that any country comes into form and wins it, as happened with Greece in Portugal in 2004."

Del Bosque succeeded Luis Aragones after Euro 2008 and has kept the core of the team intact while making minor adjustments to a well organized and confident side who won all eight matches in Euro 2012 qualifying. It had also won all 10 qualifiers in the buildup to the World Cup.

One major setback for the former Real Madrid coach is the loss of Spain's record scorer, David Villa, after the Barcelona striker failed to recover in time from a broken leg sustained in December.

Spain would not have won Euro 2008 or the 2010 World Cup without Villa's goals - he has 51 in 82 appearances - and his absence in Poland and Ukraine is a significant blow.

Carles Puyol's knee problem, which has ruled out the talismanic defender, is another untimely misfortune and it will be up to Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique to hold the line in central defense.

Del Bosque has included striker Fernando Torres in the squad despite his staggering loss of form since he joined Chelsea from Liverpool just over a year ago.

The 28-year-old, who became a national hero when he netted the winning goal in the Euro 2008 final against Germany, appears to be on his way back to something like his old self, scoring against South Korea in a friendly last month, and in Villa's absence has a good chance of starting against Italy in Gdansk on June 10.