Spain national under-23 football team
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| Nickname(s) |
La Rojita (The Little Red One) La Furia Roja (The Red Fury) |
|---|---|
| Association |
Royal Spanish Football Federation (Real Federación Española de Fútbol – RFEF) |
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) |
| Head coach | Luis Milla |
| Most caps | Luis Enrique (14) |
| Top scorer | Kiko (7) |
| FIFA code | ESP |
| First international | |
 Yugoslavia 3 – 0 Spain  (Novi Sad, Yugoslavia; 18 June 1969) |
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| Biggest win | |
Spain 5 – 0 Libya  (El Ejido, Spain; 1 July 2005) |
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| Biggest defeat | |
 Argentina 4 – 0 Spain (Birmingham, United States; 27 July 1996) |
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| Olympics | |
| Appearances | 4 (first in 1992) |
| Best result | Winners: 1992 |
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Football | ||
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1920 Antwerp | Team |
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1992 Barcelona | Team |
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2000 Sydney | Team |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| U-23 Mediterranean Games | ||
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2005 Almería, Spain | Team |
Spain's Olympic football team (also known as Spain Under-23, or Spain U-23) represents Spain in international football competitions in the Olympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except the Olympics allows the men's team up to three overage players. The team is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Having qualified for four Olympic competitions since 1992, Spain has won one gold medal (1992) and one silver medal (2000), It is after Argentina the second most successful Olympic team.
Unlike later tournaments, the Summer Olympics used to be represented by senior or amateur teams. Spain's first participation in the Olympics was in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1920. Fourteen teams entered the competition which was organized on a knockout basis. Twelve teams entered the first round, with the six winners joining the host nation (Belgium) and France, in the quarter-finals. Czechoslovakia, participating in their first international tournament, cruised to the final, inflicting heavy defeats on Yugoslavia (who played their first ever international match in the competition), Norway, and France. Belgium beat a talented Spain and then the Netherlands on their way to the final. Belgium won the gold medal by default after Czechoslovakia walked off in protest during the final, unhappy with the performance of the English referee, John Lewis. The Bergvall System was used to determine second and third places. The beaten quarter-finalists played-off, Spain emerged triumphant overcoming Sweden 2–1 and Italy 2–0. Ordinarily, Spain would then have played the beaten finalists, but Czechoslovakia had been disqualified from the tournament. Spain thus advanced straight to the silver medal match against Holland, beaten in the semi-finals by gold medallists Belgium. Spain won 3–1.
1924 was not as successful, Spain bowed out of competition in round 1 after losing to Italy 1–0
At the 1928 Summer Olympics things would go from good to worse. Spain were, potentially, much to be feared. Defeated once since the last Olympic Games tournament their traditional tournament nerves would handicap them here, a key note that would strike throughout the coming years. The unavoidable loss of their experienced captain Pedro Vallana after their first game, though, would cost them dearly. Spain started with a 7–1 win over Mexico, then a 1–1 draw against Italy which would cause the match to go on a reply. There Spain were eventually eliminating with a 1–7 defeat.
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Wikipedia