Spain qualified for Euro 2012 with a 100 per cent record, making it only the fourth time (France for Euro 92 and 2004, and Czech Republic for Euro 2000) that a nation advanced to the finals of the European Championship with a perfect run in the qualifiers. Germany would equal the feat later in the qualifying draw.

La Furia Roja's qualification campaign was never in jeopardy, winning six of their eight group matches by more than a one-goal margin. Their biggest scare was against Scotland at Hampden Park when, leading 2-0, they allowed their hosts to pull the game back to 2-2 before Fernando Llorente netted the winner 10 minutes from time.

The following match against the Czech Republic in Granada was the only occasion that Vicente del Bosque's men fell behind throughout the qualifiers.

Labelled as perennial underachievers in international football, Spain's only ever senior title prior to 2008 was the 1964 European Championship on home soil when they defeated the Soviet Union 2-1 in the final. By winning the competition again at Euro 2008 in Austria-Switzerland, they became the second most successful nation in the tournament along with France, lagging behind only Germany, who have lifted the Henri Delaunay trophy three times.

Del Bosque's outfit will be only the third team - after Germany and France - to head into a European Championship tournament while simultaneously holding the World Cup and the Euros. In Poland-Ukraine, Spain will attempt to become the first country to successfully defend their European crown.

COACH - Vicente Del Bosque
Del Bosque became the most successful coach of all time on debut with a national team when he won his first 13 games in charge. He also helped guide the country to a new record of 15 consecutive wins, and joined Brazil's class of 1993 to 1996 with the longest undefeated run of 33 matches.

In a combined 18 qualification games for the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, Del Bosque has won all 18. He has only ever lost two competitive encounters: to the United States in the 2009 Confederations Cup and to Switzerland in their opening game of the 2010 World Cup.

In his first 50 games as Spain coach, he has won 42 of them, while drawing two and losing six with 123 goals scored and just 40 conceded in the process.

CAPTAIN - Iker Casillas
Casillas inherited the Spain armband from Raul and in doing so, he became the first goalkeeper to lift the European Championship trophy as skipper in 2008. Two years later in South Africa, he became only the third ever shot-stopper to captain a national team to World Cup glory.

The Real Madrid custodian also holds the honour of being his country's most capped player, eclipsing Andoni Zubizarreta's previous tally of 126 appearances. In addition, he has surpassed the same player to become La Furia Roja's record holder for the most clean sheets in the Spanish national team.