The 2010 World Cup proved to be a reward for the work done at youth level by the Spanish FA.
And in the same way, Germany's success last night was confirmation of the strides made by the DFB over the past decade.
But the question is, with Germany finally securing a major title, is this the start of an era of domination.
Graham Hunter, who watched Spain's growth first hand, joined us on the line and mused about that possibility, starting with something Spain's World Cup-winning captain told him before the 2010 semi-final.
"Casillas told me: 'My fear is that [Germany] are building a brand of play and a squad to dominate for a generation. If you forward to 2012, they were very powerful indeed. Joachim Löw is a man that adores the Spanish playing style, has modeled his part of the redevelopment of Germany on the technical control that Spain have been able to exert. He wanted Germany to be able to play with the same comfort on the ball. He was beginning to get criticism for it."
Graham believes it is easier for European teams to win outside the continent due to the benefits of the Champions League.
He also emphasized the benefit of having a core of players from the same club side, with Bayern Munich providing what Barcelona did for Spain in 2010.
"They have what the Spanish call automismos - you play automatically. You know where the guy next to you will be. Off the pitch, when you can achieve - whether its groups of players from the same team or have regularly combined together - if you can get harmony off the pitch, it's becoming more and more important," said Graham, who added that its especially vital when exhaustion sets in."
As for Lionel Messi, Graham touched on how the World Cup final defeat will impact the Argentinean in the early stages of next season.
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