Kuper on Spain

As we are only a few hours from the Euro 2012 kickoff in Poland, it might be nice to take a look at one explanation for how defending champion and current favorite Spain has had such a successful five years. Rather than struggle through this myself, I will direct readers to a writer I have enjoyed in the Financial Times weekend edition for many years and who is one of the most thoughtful sports scribes of our times, Simon Kuper. ESPN, which some might have noticed has an interest in promoting the tournament, has Kuper's thoughts on Spain, which wouldn't seem out of place in a business weekly or journal on international affairs, on its Euro 2012 page here.