Xabi Alonso dedicated Spain's unprecedented success in the European Championship to the victims of the forest fires raging around Valencia.
Midfielder's thoughts are with those suffering in Eastern Spain
Xabi Alonso dedicated Spain's unprecedented success in the European Championship to the victims of the forest fires raging around Valencia.
Spain were crowned kings of European football again thanks to a comprehensive 4-0 win over Italy to win three successive major international tournaments in the process.
But despite the obvious delight of many in his homeland at their triumph Alonso admits he is all too aware that there were some who were not celebrating Spain being the first side to retain their European crown.
Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes around the country's popular tourist areas in the east of the country and Alonso was quick to extend his sympathies to those that have lost their homes.
Suffering
"This is to try and make the people happy and to the people that are suffering," he told Spanish newspaper
AS. "Like those in Valencia we have to help them and dedicate this triumph to them.
"The sensation and euphoria is different to the last European Championship. Everything is more moderate.
"We have celebrated with our families and we are very calm. Four years ago there was more euphoria.
"We ought to feel more euphoric but that's the way things are and we can't force them. The team has a lot of humility.
"We were fighting for a common goal. We didn't want to be an example to anybody, we wanted to return to the people and transmit happiness.
"If the fans enjoyed themselves then we have done the double. To go three out of three is incredible. The first time you achieve it, it is fantastic and you don't know if it will last. This has lasted."
luck
Brilliant first-half goals from David Silva and Jordi Alba set Spain on the road to victory before Chelsea duo Fernando Torres and Juan Mata rounded off the crushing win against 10-man Italy who lost Thiago Motta through injury minutes after coming on.
The emphatic result also meant that Spain conceded only once during the tournament and Gerard Pique made the case for the defence building the foundation for their successive tournament victories.
Pique said in
AS: "On a defensive level we have been very good, not only the defenders and [Iker] Casillas.
"The whole team has been very good in general. It was important not to concede and we had the luck to score because the chances always arrive."
