Spain won a record third successive major title here on Sunday with their 4-0 win over Italy in the Euro 2012 final but only seven of the 23-man squad have played in all three finals.
The seven - though 11 players have been in all three squads - are captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, Fernando Torres - first man to score in two Euro finals - centreback Sergio Ramos, Andres Iniesta, his Barcelona sidekick Xavi and another of the Barcelona stars Cesc Fabregas, though at the time he was at Arsenal.
They all started the 1-0 win over Germany in the Euro 2008 final and were to be joined later in the match by Xabi Alonso.
These seven proceeded to the 2010 World Cup final where Iniesta scored the only goal against the Dutch in the final - while this time Fabregas and Torres had to make do with cameo roles as substitutes.
On Sunday six of them started with Torres on the bench but he was to come on to great effect and score and set up Juan Mata for the fourth, a minute after the latter had come on.
David Silva, another of the goalscorers on Sunday, played in both European finals but while in the 2010 squad not in the World Cup final while Alvaro Arbeloa only played one of the finals - Euro 2012.
Reserve goalkeeper Pepe Reina and Raul Albiol are the only two to miss out completely having been part of all three squads without playing a minute of any of the finals.
And as for the coach, Vicente Del Bosque may have made history on Sunday by becoming the first coach to win the World Cup, Euro and Champions League but he cannot lay claim to the two Euro titles as Luis Aragones was in charge in 2008.
Source: AFP
