Stylish winners Spain sum up attacking tournament

By Mitch Phillips

VIENNA (Reuters) - It was only fitting that Euro 2008 signed off with a classic final after three weeks of consistently high-quality, attacking, entertaining football that helped make it one of the best tournaments for years.

Only a few games, most obviously the Spain v Italy quarter-final, were strangled by fear of failure and in Spain's case, having lost so regularly at that stage, that was understandable.

Otherwise there was a real commitment to attack, from all areas, and Spain's final triumph was a just reward for their superiority at some of the most basic aspects of the game -- accurate passing, instant control and sharp movement.

Much of the pre-tournament talk had been of the likely impact of the strikers but, David Villa's first-game hat-trick apart, it was midfielders who generally ruled the roost.

"Most of the teams who came to the tournament as 4-4-2 finished as 4-5-1, including both finalists." observed Arsenal's French coach Arsene Wenger.

HUGELY IMPRESSED

Many of the most effective sides -- Spain, Russia and Netherlands in particular -- also employed fullbacks who were virtual wingers, often swamping the opposition.

Andy Roxburgh, the head of UEFA's technical delegation, said he had been hugely impressed.