Viva

Bloody Germans.

Eight final appearances since I was born, three trophies lifted in that time.

Before the tournament, played just across the border in Austria and Switzerland, I thought they had to be firm favourites to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy. So much so that I stuck a tenner on them.

Coupled with that, my Euro 2008 Dream Team included seven Germans in it going into the final.

Now that the dust has settled, I'm annoyed that Germany couldn't raise their game for the final, even though they were comprehensively outplayed by a far superior and more exciting Spanish side. That's cost me a tenner, plus winnings, alone.

And, had they managed to raise their game for the match, even enough to take the game to penalties, I'd have been the outright winner in our office Dream Team competition, trousering £40. Instead, I have to share the prize and go home with only £15.

My financial grumbles aside, I think the better side won on the night, although I think I'd have preferred to see Marco van Basten's swashbuckling Dutch side win the trophy.

But now that Spain have cast off their "perennial underachievers" tag, only one side in European, and indeed world, football can truly claim that mantle as their own.

Let's hope that Don Capello can't do anything to fix that.