On-song Spain set for main stage

Football teams often have lucky charms or habits that help them in match or tournament situations. Spain's UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship squad celebrate their successes in song – hence the joyful melody that rang out at Nyon's Colovray Stadium on Monday as they booked their place in the final.

Focus on the final
Spain survived nervous early moments to finally subdue Norway's challenge with a 2-0 success, and now the focus has turned fully on to Thursday's decider against reigning champions Germany. Win or lose, Ángel Vilda's charges have already left their mark on the tournament; for them, Football is something to celebrate and enjoy. Tuesday's tournament social event at a local bowling alley saw the team happily dancing to Latin rhythms and clearly feeling a warm glow of pride in having made it to the final.

A song for luck
"We have a song that we sing after each match that brings us luck," captain Anabel Martínez told uefa.com. "It is called Sarandonga. That is the reason for our celebration on the pitch after the game." Spain's players performed a joyful headlong slide on the pitch after the semi-final, and were determined to fully savour their success.

Objective reached
"I am very happy, because we reached our objective to play the final." Martínez added. "[The semi-final] is not the best game we have ever played. It was an average game for us. We were a little nervous at the start, but then we managed to gain more and more in confidence over the course of the game. I told my players to enjoy the win, because now we focus on the final."

Special supporters
The Spain captain has special supporters in Switzerland; her father and grandfather have come from Valencia to Nyon to back the team. When the Spanish national anthem is played before the final, the proud youngster will think of her family and friends before she settles down to the game. "I will be feeling very emotional," Martínez reflected. "I'm sure I will have goose-pimples on my arms and that I will feel like crying. And if I were to lift the trophy, I can't tell you how it would feel inside. It would be an indescribable moment."