Durhamfootman wrote:well, Spain have a chance now to change anything and everything about their international set up, from the players to the executive and everything in between. Personnel, structure, culture, the lot, so lets see what they can do with it.
That is something that is very much easier said than done, especially in Spain. Having some form of unified team approach or culture, when in reality you have three different ethnic groups that make up the team (Basque, Catalan + Castellan) is not easy. Something as simple as what language you communicate in can be a valid question - if you have a majority of Catalans (which the team did before the player revolt), most people aren't going to like that. Catalan's speak Spanish, and will speak it to foreigners happily knowing they are making an effort, but someone from Madrid who turns up in Barcelona isn't going to be welcomed so much taking Castellan Spanish.
Spain is a special case, because football clubs really do divide the lines between sport, culture and politics - Bilbao, Barcelona... these aren't only football clubs, but banners of cultural pride. And that transfers to unique football styles too. Bilbao's Cantera teaches vertical passing, Barcelona tiki-taka and individuality, Madrid has always valued physicality and team ethic... and these values are taught to kids as early as they kick a ball. Its a time old problem for Spain to find something that blends this together, and many coaches have failed. Of course, its easy to say in the period 15 odd years ago Spain had a unique talent boom, but all through my life they have had elite quality sides, but failed to expectations.
On of the things often credited with Spain's world success was the fact Puyol and Casillas got along, which in the history of Barcelona and Madrid, never occurred before or after. Both of these players worked together to foster a unified understanding, and at the start to paint the situation, would be the only two players from the different clubs to communicate to each other, then pass on the information to the others. Over many years, they pushed the two warring factions together to the point they could talk and work together - but again as an example of how fragile that is, Casillas and Puyol recently tried to mitigate between the sides after a few wild El Clasico games got out of hand, and the Barcelona coach Xavi came out to tell the two of them he had no intention of talking to a Madrid scumbag to settle anything.
It wasnt that long ago players like Pique were openly threatening to quit the Spanish team after the Catalan parliament declarations.... and he wasn't alone. A lot of Barcelona players don't have much allegiance to Spain, and don't enjoy playing for them.