Jun 30, 2008, 12:19 GMT
Madrid - Spain has already started to look towards the future, just hours after their historic Euro 2008 triumph.
No sooner had the shouting and celebrating died down - at least until the team was due to fly home with the trophy on Monday evening - that plans for the future were being laid.
Midfielder Xabi Alonso confessed, on Sunday night, that 'I now have ambitions for the World Cup' (to be staged by South Africa in 2010).
The Liverpool anchorman added that 'I want to enjoy my holidays and only then I will start thinking about qualification for the World Cup...The trophy will change a lot of things, the sky is the limit for us now.'
Fellow-midfielder Cesc Fabregas was also looking towards the future straight after the 1-0 triumph over Germany in Vienna.
'Of course this makes me hungry for more,' said the Arsenal youngster. This is the biggest thing that the national team has done for the country...We are a very young team and now we must go for the World Cup.'
Spain were one of the youngest teams at Euro 2008, with an average age of 26. That is why there are already being considered as one of the favourites for 2010.
The digital version of sports daily Marca said on Monday that 'from tomorrow onwards we need to start thinking about 2010, because this team is good enough and young enough to raise their levels even higher.'
Spain are much better placed to build on their Euro success than Greece were four years ago. The surprise 2004 champions failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals - and finished bottom in their Euro 2008 first round group.
Spain have an indifferent World Cup record, having raised expectations on many occasions only to fail to deliver on the big stage. Their highest placing was fourth at the 1950 World Cup.
Fernando Torres, scorer of the crucial goal in Sunday's final, is another player already looking ahead. 'We have grown as a group and as a team,' he told the media in Vienna.
'I'm delighted because this is my first major tournament win and hope not my last. We have to enjoy this and then go for the next World Cup in two years.'
A Spaniard already planning for 2010 is Angel Maria Villar, president of the football federation, who watched the final alongside King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
The triumph in Vienna is the first success for Villar after 20 years in charge of the federation, and it will almost certainly guarantee his re-election in the autumn.
Villar, vice-president of FIFA and UEFA, is hopeful that Spain will be chosen to host Euro 2016 - although Madrid's Olympic Games bid might prove to be an obstacle.
Villar is now trying to line up former Real Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque as replacement for Luis Aragones, who signed off in triumph on Sunday.
Aragones, who will be 70 next month, has signed a two-year contract with Turkish giants Fenerbahce, partly in pique at Villar not offering him a contract extension until last week.
Aragones is the true architect of Spain's success, the man who gave solidity spark to their traditional keep-ball style - and the man who stood by a group of ball players previously derided for being too small and too slow.
Against Germany, instead of being obsessed with keeping possession, Aragones employed an intelligent counter-attacking strategy, taking advantage of the speed of lone striker Torres.
His 4-1-4-1 formation, with Marcos Senna just in front of defence and Torres supported by four attacking midfielders, seemed to confuse Michael Ballack and company.
Aragones has worked hard to build up dressing-room unity and cohesion, and is clearly well respected by his players.
Torres said afterwards that 'he (Aragones) is like a father to us...He's maybe the most important thing in our set-up because he has a lot of confidence in the group. We are very happy that on his last game he goes down in Spanish footballing history.'
The 'Wise Man' confirmed that he was leaving after the final, and claimed that 'I think this team can go on and have many more triumphs.'
Aragones expressed the hope that the next national manager be 'treated as well as possible so that he can do his job. I have the mental strength to deal with all the pressure, maybe the next man does not have it.'
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