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WHY TORRES IS SPAIN'S GREAT HOPE

With Fernando Torres and co getting ready to kick off their Euro 2008 campaign against Russia later today we speak to The Guardian's Madrid-based journalist Sid Lowe to gauge the mood of the Spanish camp ahead of their opener in Innsbruck.

/noticias.info/ Firstly Sid, how much are Spain looking forward to this competition?

They are really looking forward to it but the big doubt has been how they are going to approach the competition. Are they going to go five across midfield in a 4-1-4-1 formation or are they going to give Fernando Torres a partner and play two up front? Now it seems as though that decision has been more or less made for them because it looks like Cesc Fabregas is not entirely fit. So it looks like Torres will have a partner tonight and that he will be playing alongside David Villa.

Are there any other stories coming out of the Spain camp ahead of their first game?

If truth be told then the Fabregas story is the main one at the moment. All over Spain people have been talking about how do we get Fabregas into the team and how do we get him playing the way he does for Arsenal and then how do we work that to our advantage. It took a long time to find a formation and a way of playing to fit all of the players in. Eventually Luis Aragones said 'I've got four great midfielders and I need to get them all into the team'. But with Fabregas now injured he's left with three great midfielders and a striker on the bench in David Villa who is desperate for a chance to play and I think that is what's going to happen tonight.

Are Spanish fans confident that this could be their year?

They have the same attitude that they always have. It's a difficult one to gauge because it's quite contradictory. The best way of describing Spain's attitude is to say they believe they can do it but deep down they fear they will not.

They know that technically they have one of the best sides in Europe, and possibly even the best in terms of retaining the ball, using it well and playing nice, pretty football. But they always feel, and I think they're right to some extent, that something will go wrong. Maybe they won't have the edge of the Italians, the luck of the Germans, the aggression of some other sides or the moments of inspiration that the likes of Portugal can offer.

They go into the tournament with the same attitude as always. They know they're good, they know they have good players but there's that nagging doubt they just can't rid themselves of.

What about the influence of our boys on Spain's fortunes over the next few weeks?

Fernando Torres is obviously the key man. Alvaro Arbeloa won't start, Pepe Reina won't start and I think Xabi Alonso will lose out in the battle for the deep midfield role to Marcos Senna.

That leaves only Fernando Torres - and I say only Fernando Torres but here is the key man for this team this year. He is the great hope of the Spanish national side. There is a real feeling in Spain that if Aragones can get out of Torres half of what Rafael Benitez did at Anfield last season then they have a chance. There is a feeling that here is a guy who can really, really make a difference.

Spain have lots of potential match winners but Torres is a player who the fans are looking to more than anyone else as the one who can change the tournament - and of course change history because Spain have done nothing since 1964.

Spain v Russia kicks off tonight at 5pm. notas_de_prensa_archivo