Author: neil

I wanted to tell the back story of Vicente Del Bosque, a coach who is a huge part of the stories of Real Madrid and the success of the Spain team.
It involves the radical politics of his father, the dictator Franco and the establishment credentials of Real Madrid, the club where Del Bosque shone as an elegant midfielder. I hope you like it.

I met the Spain coach, Vicente Del Bosque, to talk about the impact their three wins have had on his country as a whole; the politics of his late father; and also a particular part of his playing career which came to light as I researched my book on the national team’s golden era.

Let me take you inside Football City – the HQ of the Spain FA, and the place where the world’s media get to talk to the three-time champions. Outside, they have captured some of the moments from the World Cup and European Championships that have made this team great. Inside, there are images of every player to have represented Spain, including the man who now coaches them – Vicente Del Bosque.

I’ve learned a lot about watching Spain train at four successive tournaments – little clues that help you decipher how the players are feeling, who is in form, and how the team might change from one game to the next. Almost without fail, one guy trains harder and longer than the others – it’s Iker Casillas.

I met Pepe Reina to talk about Spain’s chances at the World Cup in Brazil – he may have only played for 90 minutes of their three wins, but he’s one of the key behind-the-scenes influencers in Vicente Del Bosque’s squad.