Euro 2009 Contenders - Spain

Spain nearly blew their chance of reaching Sweden when they had to come back from 2-1 down after the away leg in Switzerland. They needed a last-minute goal in the home tie to force extra-time in Lorca, and eventually progressed thanks to a Raul Garcia strike.

Prior to that, the young Spaniards looked to be a chip off the old block, picking up where their senior counterparts left off by recording a 100 per cent record in qualifying.

Conceding just two goals, and notching up 21, Spain will still be in a great position to claim the Under-21 Championship on the back of the senior side claiming the 2008 European Championship.

Beating second-place Russia both home and away will probably rank as the highlight of their qualifying campaign.

Spain have claimed the Under-21 European Championship on two occasions in the past. They beat Italy on penalties in 1984, and then Greece in 1996, winning 1-0 in the Final and going the whole competition without conceding a goal.

Star Man
Bojan Krkic – The Barcelona starlet is already scoring goals at club level for one of the biggest clubs in the world, both domestically and in the Champions League, and the young striker will now want to etch his name in European history for his country this summer. He bagged three goals in three games in qualifying, and while he is already highly regarded, he will still need to shine during a national tournament if he is truly to announce himself on the world stage.

Manager
Juan Ramón López Caro took charge of the Under-21s after spells at a number of Liga clubs, including Real Madrid. Having earned himself the nickname ‘The Iron Sergeant’ because of his no nonsense, disciplinary style, he guided Real Madrid B to the Segunda División Play-Offs three times, the last of which led to promotion.

The Spain Squad

Goalkeepers
Sergio Asenjo (Real Valladolid CF), Roberto Jiménez (RC Recreativo de Huelva), Antonio Adán (Real Madrid CF).

Defenders
Chico (UD Almería), César Azpilicueta (CA Osasuna), Nacho Monreal (CA Osasuna), Sergio Sánchez (RCD Espanyol), Marc Torrejón (RCD Espanyol), Miguel Torres (Real Madrid CF), Iván Marcano (Real Racing Club).

Midfielders
Javi Martínez (Athletic Club Bilbao), Raúl García (Club Atlético de Madrid), Esteban Granero (Getafe CF), Sisi (RC Recreativo de Huelva), Javi García (Real Madrid CF), Mario Suárez (RCD Mallorca), José Manuel Jurado (RCD Mallorca), Pedro León (Real Racing Club), Diego Capel (Sevilla FC).

Forwards
Bojan Krkic (FC Barcelona), Adrián López (Málaga CF), Xisco (Newcastle United FC), Jonathan Pereira (Real Racing Club).


Final Qualifying Standings