Such a day like today make ten years the Airbus 'Miguel Hernández' landed in South Africa with the Spanish National Team, which was the last to arrive to the 2010 World Cup. He did it with the favorite tag in betting after deployed football in the Euro 2008. But also with reasonable doubts after many years of fall ahead of time, exactly since the World Cup in Mexico, in 1986. Along with the National Team, directed by Vicente del Bosque and Toni Grande, they traveled on that plane from Iberia special envoys, including those who sign this series that begins today, 'Memories of South Africa', and that every day until, since then, glorious July 11, He will remember what happened there.
The team landed in Johannesburg on Friday June 11, 2010 at 9:20 a.m. after a night flight no more history, except that seating of all the plane were custom with the name of each one of the members of the expedition. The players took advantage of the 10-hour flight to sleep as much as possible. Between six and seven hours on average, helped by the sleep inducers prescribed by the Doctors Celada and Cota. As soon as they arrived, on another propeller flight, they put heading to Potchefstroom, a University City 135 kilometers from Johannesburg, which was ultimately the headquarters of La Roja and where it was generated a story than excited the whole country and for which we still provide millions of compatriots.
Upon arrival in Potchefstroom, the Spanish expedition was honored with dances and ctribal antos. After such a colorful and special welcome, the players left for their hotel at Northwest University, grateful for such an exotic welcome. Next to the headquarters there were numerous people with the Selection colorsbut also several posters in which the singular mayor from the city with a message for La Roja: 'Welcome Spain-La Roja'. The detail was collected by Alfredo Relaño in his column, which he titled 'The World Cup and Doubt: Spain or La Roja'. “We are so satisfied with this team that nothing is discussed about it. We tried to discuss the goal and a false start Victor stopped him in his tracks; We tried to debate on whether a striker or two and since the two are half, it is good to start with one; we pretended debate whether extremes or tiqui-taca and the second goal to Korea sent doubts into limbo. That of which each Spanish is a coach, fruitful tradition of bar discussions, passed. Everyone loves this team, we are only concerned that Iniesta is cured, “Relaño wrote that day.
Indeed, the only concern was recover Iniesta for the match against Switzerland, 72 hours after arrival, in Durban …