Del Bosque held aloft by his players
The Spanish triumphed courtesy of Andres Iniesta’s strike in 116th minute of a tense, and at times, tempestuous clash in Johanesburg’s Soccer City stadium.
Del Bosque was delighted with his country’s success, which he felt was reward for their strong team bond.
He said: “There is joy of being 50 days with this group of players who have given us the world title. It was a difficult match.
“We started well, then they got the match under control. In the second half, there was a chance by Robben and Casillas saved us from the worst.
“Afterwards, I think that we were slightly better.”
Del Bosque also refused to criticise Holland for their overtly physical approach, which culminated in the extra-time dismissal of Johnny Heitinga.
He said: “First of all I should congratulate our opponents. They made it very difficult for us to play comfortably.
“It’s been a very intense match, and congratulations to them.”
Cesc Fabregas was introduced from the bench three minutes from the end of normal time, and Del Bosque saluted his impact on the match.
“Fabregas came on and we began to dominate,” he said. “We had greater ball possession and depth in our game.
“We created chances for Cesc and David Villa which we could have converted, but that’s the way football goes.”
He added: “The dressing room is delighted, ecstatic. But Spain, the country, deserves this triumph, this World Cup.
“This goes beyond sport. We have to celebrate. All the people have been behind us in Spain, and we’re delighted to reward them with this victory.”
Like Angler´s Mail blog? Subscribe to our magazine and you will be able to access our latest comprehensive content!
