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4 unusual facts about Spain national football team


Barretina

Moments before the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and the Netherlands, pitch invader Jimmy Jump rushed onto the field and attempted to place a Barretina on the World Cup trophy before being apprehended by several security guards.

Fuentealbilla

FC Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andrés Iniesta, who scored the winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, was born in Fuentealbilla.

Manolo Lama

Manolo Lama is known for his play-by-play covers of Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Spain matches at the radio program Tiempo de Juego in the Cadena COPE.

Sara Carbonero

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup it was alleged that Carbonero, reporting during the match between Spain and Switzerland, had distracted Casillas, causing the unexpected Swiss victory.


1982 FIFA World Cup qualification

Spain, as the hosts, and Argentina, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 22 spots open for competition.

2006 FIFA World Cup seeding

Mexico lost to Argentina, and France beat Spain, so while Spain and Mexico were eliminated earlier than the seedings would have predicted, Ukraine and Portugal went farther than the seedings predicted, Portugal going on to reach the semi-finals.

Antonio Biosca

He appeared in 219 La Liga games over the course of ten seasons (eight goals), with Betis, and represented Spain at the 1978 World Cup.

António Pinho

Pinho was playing in Portugals first ever international game, 18 December 1921 in Madrid against Spain, in a game Portugal lost 1-3.

Ármann Smári Björnsson

After a string of impressive displays in the 2006 season, Björnsson earned his first international cap for Iceland when he came on as a substitute against Spain in a friendly in Reykjavík on 15 August 2006.

Atletion

In 2007, the park played host to two of Denmark's Euro 2008 qualifying matches against Liechtenstein and Spain after UEFA ordered the matches played away from Copenhagen following a fan attack in a previous match against Sweden.

Carlos Lapetra

He settled in Huesca subsequently, working in directorial capacities with SD Huesca and the Spanish national team and dying on 24 December 1995 at the age of 57, due to cancer.

CD Tuilla

After winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final, International footballer David Villa - who was born in Tuilla and enjoyed individual success with Sporting de Gijón, Real Zaragoza, Valencia CF, FC Barcelona and Spain - waved a CD Tuilla scarf at the crowd.

Charlie Dowdall

He did, however, play twice against Belgium in 1928 and 1929 before winning his last cap on 4 April 1931 in a 1-1 draw with Spain at the Montjuic Stadium.

Claudio Marchisio

After a good 2011–12 season, Marchisio was named in the final squad for UEFA Euro 2012 and started every match in Italy's surprise run to the tournament finals, where they were defeated 4–0 by reigning European and world champions Spain.

Eduardo Ferreira

Ferreira was naturalized in 2013 and made his international debut for Equatorial Guinea on 16 November 2013 against Spain as an 81st minute substitute for Viera Ellong.

Francisco Javier Uría

Uría earned 14 caps for the Spanish national team during seven years, and participated in the 1978 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1980.

History of Deportivo de La Coruña

Because of the success of the Spanish national team in the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, football exploded throughout Spain.

Iñigo Liceranzu

On 30 April 1985 Liceranzu gained his sole cap for Spain, playing the entire 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Wales, a 0–3 loss in Wrexham.

Javier Urruticoechea

Urruti played five times for Spain in a two-year span, and was a member of the Spanish squads for the 1978, 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups, also being picked for UEFA Euro 1980.

John O'Shea

O'Shea was scheduled to face Spain on 11 June 2013, in The Bronx, New York City at Yankee Stadium but was ruled out of the game over the sudden death of his uncle Jimmy O'Leary in Waterford, Ireland.

José Antonio Grande

In 2004, Grande re-joined del Bosque during his brief adventure in Turkey with Beşiktaş JK; the pair reunited again four years later, in the same capacity, in the Spanish national football team.

José Iraragorri

He also played 7 games for the Spain national football team, scoring one goal (two goals according to the official FIFA report) in the 1934 FIFA World Cup match against Brazil.

Juan Gutiérrez Moreno

With the Spanish national team, Juanito appeared in one World Cup and two European Championships, contributing to the conquest of Euro 2008.

Julio Cardeñosa

He represented Spain in one World Cup and one European Championship.

Leonardo Cilaurren

Cilaurren earned 14 caps for the Spanish national side between 1931 and 1935, and participated at the 1934 FIFA World Cup.

Luis Aragonés

He also played for several other clubs, including Real Madrid, and played 11 times for Spain, scoring three goals.

Mariano Pulido

Pulido represented Spain at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, appearing in a 0–1 loss against East Germany for an eventual group stage exit.

Miguel Ángel González

He also earned 18 caps for the Spanish national team, and was in the squad for the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups.

Paco Fortes

Subsequently he joined Real Valladolid still in the top level, going on to amass overall league totals of 175 games and 14 goals; on 16 November 1975 he gained his only cap for Spain, playing 15 minutes in 2–2 draw in Romania for the UEFA Euro 1976 qualifiers.

Pat Dunne

Dunne made his debut for the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup qualifier against Spain at Dalymount Park in May 1965.

Pirri

Pirri played 41 times and scored 16 goals for Spain between 1966 and 1978, and was in the Spanish squads for the 1966 and 1978 World Cups.

Real Murcia

Murcia started 2007–08 well, resisting in mid-table positions until early 2008, with not even the change in coach, with former Spanish national team boss Javier Clemente replacing Lucas Alcaraz, being able to prevent relegation.

Scott Parker

On 12 November 2011, Parker was named man of the match in a friendly against UEFA Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 winners Spain in the 1–0 win.

Stelios Giannakopoulos

One of his most important and memorable goals with the Greek national team was during those qualifiers; Stelios scoring the only goal in a 1–0 away victory against Spain in Zaragoza, in a game which ensured automatic qualification for Greece.

Stoyan Kolev

He made his debut for Plamen Markov's Bulgaria in a friendly against Spain on 20 November 2002, when he was a CSKA Sofia player, coming on as a second half substitute during 0–1 defeat at Los Cármenes in Granada.

Toni Jiménez

Jiménez gained three additional caps for the full squad during one year, his first one being offered by Camacho, a friendly with Italy on 18 November 1998 (2–2, in Salerno).


see also