Swansea manager Roberto Martinez believes the Spanish success last weekend can lift the Swans

It is probably unsurprising that he has taken that view especially with six Spaniards in his squad ready for next season.

And as people back in their homeland celebrate their first success since 1964, the Swans contingent are preparing for the new Championship season that is now less than five weeks away.

The Swans will head for Sweden this week for their fitness camp and their first pre season game before heading back to Wales for a couple of local friendlies before their own trip to Spain later this month.   And Roberto believes that seeing the success of the Spanish in Euro 2008 can definitely rub off on the Swans next season as they look at their first season at this level since 1984.

“I’ve been saying it for years but finally it happened and it happened in a fantastic fashion. Spain played their football superbly and to win every game in a tournament doesn’t happen by mistake; it was rightly a huge achievement.

“It is fantastic for Spain, but it is a huge boost for Swansea City because it showed again the kind of football we aim for, and many of our players are used to, succeeds.

“Of course, myself and the Spanish lads had a smile on our face the day after the final, but I think we all can when you have that reassurance of what we are trying to do is right and when you see teams achieve things by playing the game in the right way.”

Martinez believes that having six players all bred in the same way as the National side will have the right effect on the Swans and that their style will rub off on those around them over the coming nine months

“Of course they were pleased because it was their home country

“But, in terms of Swansea City, we must be pleased that we have players who have been developed in the same way as many of the Spanish team.

“We have players who were schooled at Barcelona and we have someone like Bussy, who played with Fernando Torres at under-20 level.

“I think in the success Spain had you can find some comparisons in the details we had last season.

“For us, it was a completely different approach in the way to win games and create chances.

“Of course they had players like Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Silva; players born with that ability of controlling the ball and making things happen which produces that different style.

“We had to work hard on a daily basis to achieve it, but for us it was very successful.

“But in many ways it is the easiest thing to do it once, the key is maintaining it. Like Spain must go to the World Cup, we must go to the Championship.”

“Hopefully, they can all believe in themselves because of that and take the confidence boost to go and play the kind of football that we think will bring us more success.

“There has been a lot of talk about nationalities, but I think that is only because people have been looking for things to talk about over the summer.

“We wanted the right players to improve what we had last season and we wanted the right characters with the right talent. In the end, three of the players we brought in happened to be Spanish, but it wouldn’t have mattered where they came from as they were the right players for Swansea City.”

Photo: Action Images

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