Why Spain are so far ahead of England at football

This whole article offers a great insight into why the Spanish are so far ahead football-wise of the English (and indeed the rest of the world). As someone who has long been an advocate of character as being a critical ingredient behind all true success, it is not at all surprising to see the talk of humility in the context of the Spanish team as a telling factor.

Spend any time in the company of Roxburgh and Martinez and the word “humble” peppers their conversations. There is a humility to this great Spanish team. “Vicente Del Bosque is so humble – like most of his players,’’ said Roxburgh. “Vicente told his players on Sunday: ‘You are only football players – but you represent the face of Spain.’

“The Barca players are noted for their humility and it shows in the work-rate and the way they behave to other people. That all comes from the youth programme.’’