Spanish national team Spain travels to Oslo where it flew with maximum stress 20 years ago

the Choose Spanish I lived through one of the most tense recent seasons in 20 years, also in OsloThey will face Norway on Sunday in the qualifying stage European Nations Cup 2004 in Portugal.

That was in November 2003, When the team led by Inaki Saez played for the pass in the snow-covered Norwegian capital Below zero in the playoff created a lot of uncertainty

Spain did not achieve direct qualification after an unexpected defeat in Zaragoza against Greece, the future tournament champion, and a draw in Belfast. His punishment was to play a play-off match against Norway.

The first leg was in Mestalla, Where La Roja saved the match with many difficulties. Iversen advances to the Nordic countries, Raúl broke the deadlock and Berge’s own goal gave Spain a narrow victory. A very uncomfortable result for traveling to the Scandinavian lands.

To many critics

The team had to listen to a lot of criticism and the players were hurt. At that time, footballers and media were still sharing flights. The press is in front and the players sit in the back.

On the flight to Norway there was silence. The nerves were lying dormant. Being left out of the European Cup was a huge failure and the footballers were fully aware of that.

Spain produced their best version at Ullevaal StadionIt is the same stadium in which the La Roja team will play on Sunday, to achieve victory With a resounding score of 0-3.

The team collapsed after Raul’s goal half an hour into the match. Vicente and Josepa Etxeberría put the sentence on a team that includes footballers such as Casillas, Salgado, Helguera, Puyol, Xabi Alonso, Albelda, Baraja or Valerón.

I painted in the bathroom

The international players celebrated the pass angrily. There were moments of euphoria on the pitch and on the return trip, once the match was over, everything exploded.

Footballers have dedicated themselves to painting the bathroom’s back door with serious insults. “Journalism, sons of A…” was one of the writings that could be read. Screams and inappropriate language towards the journalists were also heard.

Inaki Saez tried to make peace by communicating with the media and showing his good nature. However, he could not avoid quarreling. Iñaki Saez himself had to separate two journalists who were about to fight.

While you can still smoke on flights and There was an atmosphere more typical of a bar than an airplaneSome members of the expedition were not up to the task. It was Iñaki Saez who gave the best example.

Louis Aragones by Iñaki Saez

That trip was indeed a bad omen of what would happen later. Spain did not qualify from the group stage of the tournament, which was held in Portugal The media were the first to immediately demand Saez’s head so that Luis Aragonés could take over.

Inaki Saez had no margin and deserved better treatment. Luis Aragones also suffered a lot in his early days, with controversies such as Raul’s departure from the team.But he was able to persevere and break the historical barrier by reaching the quarter-finals in the 2008 European Cup, winning the title.