The history of Spanish fútbol.

The history of Spanish fútbol.

The history of Spanish fútbol.

The history of Spanish fútbol.

“Spain: Home of Picasso, Penelope Cruz, and, for some time, Fascism.”

Ahead of EURO 2012, The Guardian is doing a series of videos telling the stories of Europe’s most acclaimed national teams. Alongside some delightful animation, James Richardson shares Spain’s story, given that España is expected to win yet another trophy this summer. In their words, let’s go through “the history of the Spanish national side, from their refusal to play in the first World Cup to glory at last in 2008 and 2010, via penalty misery in England and plenty of political interference." [posted by EB]