Neither Zarra’s goal against the Perfidious Albion nor the heroic final won against the Soviet Union. With democracy newly inaugurated, the exploits of Spanish football in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil and in the 1964 European Championship were nothing more than an old memory exalted by the Franco regime that the reborn Spanish society viewed with suspicion, if not with disdain.
What the fans of the national team were well aware of in those early 80s was the fiasco that La Roja had suffered in the 82nd World Cup, in its own World Cup, to which the team arrived as organizer without needing to go through the qualifying phase. after having been left out in Mexico 70 and in Germany 74 and not having managed to overcome the group stage in Argentina 78. History repeated itself at home, and José Emilio Santamaría’s team was also condemned in the group stage by being behind of Northern Ireland and meet in the second round with the Federal Republic of Germany and England in search of an impossible pass.
But there was no choice but to continue, and under the direction of Miguel Muñoz Spain sought qualification for the Euro 84 in France the following year as the last balm for disappointment. The task did not seem easy, since the team was placed in the group of Ireland, Iceland, Malta and the Netherlands, the rival to beat, since only one team went to a final phase of eight teams.
The competition became an anything goes, and if Spain maneuvered to play its last home game with the weakest rival, Malta, the Dutch federation was not far behind and in addition to moving to achieve its own, it took advantage of the fact that Malta had to play two games away from home as a sanction to propose that they play their duel at home in Aachen, next to their own border, with an attractive financial agreement in between. The result was a resounding 0-6.
Then, as a visitor, Malta lost in Rotterdam 5-0 just four days before facing Spain at the Benito Villamarín, in Seville. Being tied on points, those 11 goals became the difference between both teams. Specifically, the Netherlands had ten more than Spain, so the team was forced to win with a difference of 11 to qualify, something that the Dutch considered impossible.
Neither did the president of the Spanish Federation nor, to a large extent, the players, believe in the miraculous classification, due to a matter of time and common sense. Although one fact was decisive in the confidence in the miracle. Dispatched to Seville to narrate the match, José Ángel de la Casa saw the opportunity to obtain a video tape with the recording of the Netherlands-Malta to provide it to the Spanish expedition, as he himself explains in the podcast An outburst of fury of the Cope chain.
With the Seville airport closed due to the rains that fell incessantly on the city for a week, the video finally arrived by helicopter. And if the players did not have it all together despite the explanations of Vicente Miera, Muñoz’s assistant, who had traveled to Rotterdam to watch the match, they saw the sky open after watching the video.
De la Casa was once again the protagonist of the feat by giving voice to an feat that is 40 years old in the historic Spanish Television broadcast from the Villamarín. The narration of Spain’s goals – they finally had to be 12 when Malta scored a goal –, which we offer in an extract, is part of the history of Spanish sports journalism. In sporting terms, the Villamarín miracle had a short journey: Spain qualified for the Euro Cup and reached the final, which they lost to France. And it took more than two decades for Spain to win a continental title again and truly inaugurate a golden age.
“Very good evening, ladies and gentlemen, from the Benito Villamarín stadium in Seville, where the Spain-Malta match is going to begin, the last match of the classification of group seven of the Euro Cup of Nations. There you have it, the Maltese team is going to put the ball into play waiting for Mr. Göksel from Turkey… At this moment the match begins. Practically an impossible mission for the Spanish team to try to score 11 goals. From this moment on and for the next ninety minutes.
(…)
”There is Rincón, above Carrasco. Carrasco has handled that ball well. Carrasco has fallen and a penalty. Mr. Göksel indicated a penalty at one minute and 58 seconds into the game. Attention gentlemen. The first possibility for the Spanish team to score a goal in this penalty shot that Señor is going to take. There goes Lord. To the stick! Spain has failed in its first great opportunity.
”Santillana, Sarabia… Sarabia for Víctor. Attention Victor. And back to the post!” What an opportunity Spain just lost in the 7th and a half minutes. Basically the fact of having to score 11 goals overwhelms the players in some actions, hence errors occur.
(…)
”Foul on Camacho…. Maceda out, Sarabia!… and Bonello. Now he saved Manolo Sabaria’s shot well. It was going to be Lord who called the foul. Very quick about Victor. Attention Victor. He shot directly when Bonello was covering the goal.
(…)
“Sir has not arrived, but from Demanuele… Maceda. Ball up again. Santillana’s shot and goal! First goal for the Spanish team scored by Santillana in the 15 and a half minutes. Attention, because there are problems in collecting the ball. There has been pushing and shoving between the players in their desire to pick up the ball quickly. Also note Miguel Muñoz who has come out to give some instructions. The game stopped, when Spain had just scored its first goal.
(…)
”Goiko has rejected. Víctor the one who delivers for Tortell. Degiorgio… and goal. Goal by Degiorgio. Goal from Degiorgio in that mistake by the Spanish team. And as you can see throughout the minutes that we have been broadcasting, it is a quite strange match. It is not a usual match that Spain and Malta are playing.
(…)
”Víctor starting a new attack by the Spanish team. Shift towards Lord. Lord for Santillana. Good position from Santillana and goal! Second goal for the Spanish team scored by Santillana as well. Minute 26.
(…)
”Camacho for Sarabia. Maceda. Tortell rejected. Gordillo. He took that ball well. And Santillana goal! Santillana’s third goal. Three to one for Spain. Santillana’s third goal, minute 29. He gets up very well on central Holland.
(…)
”And the referee has indicated the end of the first half by adding one minute to the regulated time.
(…)
”Indeed, there is Mr. Göksel, the Turkish referee who directs this match, who is going to indicate the beginning of the second half at this precise moment. Spain, 3-Malta, 1. We must reach 12 goals for Spain to access the final phase of the Euro Cup.
(…)
”Throw-in for Spain. You’re going to do it, Lord. For Rincón. Corner penetrating himself. Attention Corner! Good play and goal! Great personal move by Rincón. And Spain gets its fourth goal. Four goals to one when Bonello comes to hand an object that has fallen on the pitch to the referee, a bottle. These actions by the public must be recriminated.
(…)
”Now Maceda serves for Rincón. Buttigieg, Rincón… and goal! Rincón goal! Rincón’s second goal. Five goals to one for Spain.
(…)
”Attention to that ball. Maceda… and goal! Goal from Maceda! Sixth goal for Spain.
(…)
”Third corner of this second half. Again and again the ball went around the Maltese goal. Mister. Santillana finished. Goal! Goal from Maceda! Goal from Maceda. The seventh!
(…)
”Let’s see if it’s possible. Maceda again with the ball. Sarabia, Maceda, sending to Rincón. There’s Rincón. Corner… and goal! Eighth goal for Spain! And pay attention! Because the impossible is getting closer. Nineteen minutes are now over and watch Rincón’s play, which scores Spain’s eighth goal. What a shame, gentlemen, the goal conceded. Four goals are missing for Spain to qualify. Four goals and 25 minutes ahead. It is possible, gentlemen. The Spanish team has had a magnificent streak, from minute 11 to minute 19, in eight minutes they have scored four goals.
(…)
”Individual play, good Lord. Camacho, Gordillo, Víctor, Santillana… Goal! Santillana goal. Nine! Nine. Three goals are missing for Spain.
(…)
”Throw-in for the Maltese, who try to waste as little time as possible, for the moment under the consent of the referee. There will be a yellow card for number 11, Degiorgio, who will have to leave the field of play, if it is shown to him it is the second. Indeed.
(…)
”Let’s see if he keeps a cool head. Gordillo, Maceda, correct position. Correct position… Goal! Goal from Spain! Rincón goal! Goal number 10.
(…)
”The balls now go directly to Buyo, because the Maltese have already definitively renounced any possibility of attack by being left with any possibility of attack. Sarabia, penetrating on it. Carrasco, sir. Pay attention to the ball. Sarabia! Goal! Sarabia goal! Goal number 11 for Sarabia.
(…)
”One goal is missing, gentlemen, one goal is missing. This is impressive, gentlemen. Awesome. Benito Villamarín’s scoreboard only has two ones, there is no room for a third. Camacho, again opens for Víctor. Victor! What a shame that consecutive failures. Nerves, gentlemen, very important.
(…)
”Lord and Victor. Victor. Lord has fallen. Sir, Goooool! Lord’s goal! Lord’s goal, number 12, Lord’s goal. Phenomenal, phenomenal. There are the 12!
(…)
”Spain keeping the ball. Goiko, Sarabia… Attention Sarabia. He has sent well over Gordillo. Gordillo… Goal! No, offside. The referee has canceled it.
(…)
”There is an invasion of the countryside. Attention.
(…)
”Forty-five minutes are over, but, effectively, it will have to be extended when Spain maintains possession of the ball. Victor. The referee is looking at his watch. Victor and Lord passing the ball. Carrasco and end of the game! The referee indicates the end of the match, which reaches 12 to 1 that classifies Spain.”
