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MOSCOW (Reuters) – Spain have arrived at the World Cup, convinced to be once again ready to dominate world football, but Sunday's defeat against Russia in the round of 32 will go back to a decade.
Having a team full of winners at the international level and the club, who could be sent home by the lowest ranked team of the tournament, would have seemed absurd a month ago, but the minutes from the Luzhniki stadium seemed more likely.
Despite an impressive total of 1,107 assists, Spain could not break the deadlock 1-1 and his fate was sealed when Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev snapped a penalty from the side. Iago Aspas to defeat the hosts.
Perpetual underperformers on the international scene, Spain has been rid of this mark during a glorious cycle between 2008 and 2012 when she won two consecutive European championships and a first World Cup.
But for the national media, this last fiasco was too familiar.
"Spain back 10 years "said the newspaper El Pais, while Marca said," Spain returns to the past ".
Where Spain goes from here is far from clear.
They do not have a coach and will soon end up without a lot of players who have been part of the furniture for so long.
Andres Iniesta confirmed his international retirement immediately after the match and Gerard Pique should join him. Sergio Ramos and David Silva will be 34 years old by 2020.
"The end of a generation," said the cover of the newspaper AS.
The decision to dispense with long-time coach Julen Lopetegui a few days before the World Cup, after failing to inform the federation of his transfer to Real Madrid after the tournament, has inevitably been mentioned.
taken by the president of the federation Luis Rubiales, had the support of large sections of the media and former influential players like Xavi Hernandez, he destabilized the players who had worked with Lopetegui for two years.
Koke, who also missed the shootout, said that it had been hard to lose him.
"We lost our leader," the midfielder said after the match.
Interim manager Fernando Hierro lacked experience as a coach. He was there when he was on the substitutes' bench after dropping Dani Carvajal and Andres Iniesta after dropping them.
Hierro seemed unfit for his sudden transformation from football director to head coach.
"I arrived in costume, I will go in tracksuit," said the former defender of Real Madrid two weeks ago.
He did not expect to leave Russia so soon, but considering the turmoil that enveloped the Spanish countryside with the sacking of the man who had made them come, no one could really be surprised by their premature exit.
Editing by Peter Rutherford
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