Are they good or are the others bad?

Every commentator is using superlatives about the Spanish team's victory over Italy in Euro 2012 final on 1 July. Some are saying that this is the best national team ever to grace the world stage. They should know because of their experience in the game and long experience of watching competitions. However, you are only as good as your opponents allow you to be. No doubt the Spanish team plays divine football but is their superiority due to the weakness of other teams? Spain's main strength lies in their team being drawn mainly from Barcelona and Real Madrid and although there is great rivalry between the 2 teams once the players develop an understanding they become a unit. Contrast this with Brazil most of whose players play overseas, mainly in Europe, where the money is. The players have to fly a long distance back to their country and have short time to get over jet lag and practice together before pulling on the golden yellow jerseys. The Premier League in England is recognised as the best league in the world yet England were glad to lose on a penalty shootout and not be humiliated in open play. English clubs are able to buy the best players from all over the world which makes them strong and wonderful to watch but it also means that few English players get the chance to play with top players and those that do are playing with foreigners, very often under a foreign manager, which means that they are unable to develop the kind of understanding that Spanish players seem to possess. International tournaments are held in the summer after the end of the national season which means that top players have already played some 60 games in their league, cup and Champions League fixtures. Players are tired and some may be nursing niggling injuries as Schweinsteiger was said to be suffering from. Players do not earn from playing for their countries but from the clubs that have signed them. Top players are paid 120,000 pounds a week which would be Rs 1 crore or 10 million in Indian currency. Clubs are owned by wealthy businessmen who see players as investment and are angered if players are injured playing for their countries. Carlos Puyol was sent for a knee operation just before Euro 2012 after playing the whole season with his injury for Barcelona which meant that he missed the tournament. All this means that we do not see the best of these highly talented players and very often internationals tournaments are disappointing, especially for neutrals like us Indians. Del Bosque, Spain's manager was being criticised for playing 6 across the midfield without a recognised striker up front but after beating Italy he is being hailed as a genius. Maybe the opposition was just not good enough. Still champions are champions so congratulations Spain.