Day 29, World Cup 2010: “Well, it’s … an octopus!”

Running right alongside Brazil 2014, this is my day-by-day story of how Spain won the last World Cup. You can catch up on previous posts.

These stories are from Spain: The Inside Story of La Roja’s Historic Treble, by Graham Hunter

Two days until the World Cup final

Morten Olsen, the Denmark coach, says something prophetic. Everyone else, Spain’s players included, were talking about the debt both footballing nations, Holland and Spain, owe to Johan Cruyff and the football philosophy of Rinus Michels. Excitement is growing about an open final. Olsen, who coached Ajax to the Dutch league and cup double, begs to differ: “If Brazil had beaten Holland, instead of the other way round, Holland would have been slaughtered at home. Not simply for going out but because of the disastrous way they are playing.”

He is on to something.

At today’s press conference there is a lady from a Mexican television channel who is a real personality. Her questions are always bubbly, sometimes funny and this day she is going for the big one.

“Carlos, Pulpo Paul [Paul the Octopus, the all-knowing aquatic analyst] has had a brilliant World Cup, calling the winner of every match it has predicted. Now Pulpo Paul says Spain are going to win the final. What do you think?”

Marchena pauses, squints at the journalist and turns to one side. There is a gentle creaking as the multinational audience gently lean forward for what is clearly going to be a significant answer of depth and consideration.

Marchena leans into the microphone and says, deadpan: “Well, it’s … an octopus!” His audience corpses.

By this point, everyone who has secured an interview on the final open media day before press conferences at Soccer City on Saturday and the final itself on Sunday is keeping quiet about it. Everyone who does not have an interview is prepared to steal from friends and colleagues to get one, and worse besides.

Gerard Piqué saves my bacon, agreeing on the quiet to nip into our studio, to talk Barcelona, Cruyff, Holland, Total Football, Spain and the World Cup final.

He finishes our interview with the words: ‘Perfecto, Graham?’

It is a sign. Everything is going to be perfecto.

Read Next Louis, Louis Read Next Day 30, World Cup 2010: "I don't enjoy watching Holland. It's not exciting"