When Carles Puyol powered home the goal that took Spain to an historic World cup final, coach Vicente del Bosque was a picture of restraint: detached from the hugging, dancing ecstatic players and staff on the touchline alongside him. When the final whistle blew, he turned to hug his loyal assistant Toni Grande, shook the hand of Joachim Low, before disappearing down the tunnel, away from the combined scenes of Spanish euphoria and crushing German disappointment unfolding out on the pitch and in the stands.

Del Bosque is acutely aware that he represents an entire country, portraying a sense of privilege to be of service to his country – hence he is never to be seen without his Spain track-suit on and national badge, even when walking around with his family near the training facilities in Potchefstroom. A product of post-civil war Spain, the well-read son of a republican railway man, del Bosque understood that his first words in the press conference after the game would reverberate back home.

Another manager would have seized the opportunity to remind everyone what he had achieved, how special this victory – and he – had turned out to be. He would not have been blamed for taking a swipe at his predecessor, Luis Aragones, whose comments as a TV pundit throughout the tournament had provided ammunition for del Bosque’s critics and armchair coaches alike.

He might even have seized the opportunity to remind us all of his treatment at the hands of Florentino Perez, the Real Madrid president who got rid of  del Bosque in 2003 after guiding them through their most successful spell in modern history (2 Uefa Champions League titles in 2000 and 2002; 2 domestic La Liga titles in 2001 and 2003; 1 Spanish Supercup in 2001, a Uefa Super Cup in 2002, the Intercontinental Cup in 2002 as well as finishing in the last four of the Uefa Champions League every year of the four years he was in charge) simply because they were looking for someone with “a bit more of a sophisticated profile.”

The manner of his departure from Real Madrid left him devastated – so much so that he could not bring himself to go and sit on the balcony of his flat that overlooked the training ground of the club that had been his home for over 30 years (the club where he had trained as a youngster, became an international and coached on three separate occasions). That training ground has now moved, and he can once again sit on his balcony and relax with his favoured cigars without overlooking a bitter reminder of rejection. He has since returned to watch Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, but it took him six years before he could bring himself to do so.

Yet he is not a man to bear a grudge and if, in his first words after the semi-final win over Germany, Vicente del Bosque felt the urge to say “I told you so,” he hid it well, and put first the needs of a country that is suffering more than most the effects of a debilitating financial collapse before his own inevitable sense of self satisfaction. 

He spoke of how honoured he felt to be working with such a fantastic bunch of players and coaches and of how as a nation “that has changed tremendously over the past 30 years and as citizens we should all feel proud to have such individuals amongst us.”

He also paid homage to all the former players and coaches that had represented Spain before that glorious night, emphasising that everyone had played their part in shaping the national team, emphasising the sacrifice and hard work of the thousands of anonymous coaches that combine at all levels to make Spanish football the envy of the footballing world.

He can appear distanced from his players, but he prefers a strong element of self discipline rather than ruling with an iron rod. Following the game against Honduras when, despite the victory, there was criticism of his persistence with two holding midfielders, concerns over the form of Torres and Casillas, the physical condition of the team and the anxieties that had crept in after the defeat to the Swiss - a group of senior players convened a meeting (Casillas, Puyol, Marchena, Torrres et al) at a nearby cricket ground. They concluded that they needed to absorb the pressure themselves, take responsibility and encourage the younger squad members to relax, enjoy and express themselves.

Del Bosque learned of the secret meeting - but rather than attempt to quell what many coaches might have wrongly perceived as revolution – he encouraged them to follow their own decisions. This does not undermine his authority. Del Bosque is very much the leader of this complex and diverse group, but rather than blazing a trail through Spanish football history, his typical humility and considered approach serves more like a flashlight guiding this group of players down a path where no other Spanish team in history has  ever trod. His way may not be “sophisticated” enough for some, but it`s enough for Vicente del Bosque to achieve what no other Spanish coach has done before either.

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