Spain's future safe with Santisteban
Monday, May 5, 2008
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Spain's UEFA EURO 2008™ squad will feature many graduates of Juan Santisteban's Under-17 team and he is a proud man as his current crop defend their European title.
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Junior prowess
Spain are defending their U17 title in the finals, which began yesterday, and under long-standing coach Juan Santisteban have been as consistently successful at youth level as they have been frustrated in senior competition. But their junior prowess has been of use at adult level, as Santisteban, in charge for the last 20 years, explains.
Pride
"Fortunately, I have been lucky enough to work with the youth teams and work with 90 per cent of the players who will be at UEFA EURO 2008™, which makes me very proud," Santisteban told uefa.com. "Also, we had Bojan Krkić not long ago and he was playing for us at the age of 15. It fills me with pride to have kids of that age in the team and then see them becoming football stars."
Grateful graduates
The 71-year-old, a member of the famed Real Madrid CF team of the late 1950s, has won European titles with the likes of Iker Casillas, Andrés Iniesta and last season Bojan. And all of them retain their respect for the venerable Santisteban. "I still haven't encountered a player that has turned his back on me when we meet," he said. "They all greet me, they hug me, and they thank all the coaching staff for what we have done for them. They're aware that we have worked for them to help them learn how to be a person and then a footballer. There are some that are shyer than others, but not many."
Personal development
Learning to be a person, in Santisteban's phrase, is a crucial part of his work. "My objective is always for the youngsters to be persons," he said. "If they end up making a living in football, all the better, but the fundamental thing is for them to learn to be people. It's essential and the most important thing in the upbringing of a child. In the sporting sense, they have to play to enjoy themselves, without worrying about winning or losing."
EURO chance
Still, victory is important and Santisteban believes Spain could be heading for glory next month. "They are currently playing very well with important players like Andrés Iniesta, Xavi [Hernández] and Xabi Alonso, and the standard is very high. I trust they will get far in the competition and personally I am very excited about the team and I think this year they could be champions."