When Spain's victorious football squad touched down in Madrid yesterday, they were greeted with the words: "Welcome to a happier country." Emblazoned on a giant poster hung up by fans in the arrivals lounge, this embodied the mood and optimism of an entire nation.
The word "nation" is not bandied around easily in Spain. But if the World Cup win has proved anything, other than that Spain plays the best football on the planet, it is that the country can put aside its regional differences – at least for the time being – and be united in victory.
