"This undoubtedly surprises you more than it surprises us," Spains manager Luis de la Fuente told his countrys journalists.

His team hadjust beaten Francein the European Championship semi-finals, setting up a showdown with England in Sundays final.

And surprise - of the pleasant kind - is perhaps the best word to describe what many Spanish fans have been feeling throughout this tournament.

Expectation was low on Spain's sun-kissed streets as the Euros got underway, but that has quickly become national jubilation, helping to bring this much-divided country together.

Quite a difference to thetrials and tribulationsof Three Lions supporters.

"At first my friends and myself thought that the players selected were a very personal choice of the coach and didnt represent the opinion of most Spaniards," said Jorge Gallego, a Spain fan in Madrid.

"We didnt expect to reach the final but throughout the tournament we started to realise that we could go far."

While an estimated 11,500 Spanish fans havetravelled to Berlin for the final, back home giant screens are being installed in parks, sports centres and squares on which to watch it.

Here in Madrid, local authorities have said that, if Spain wins, victory celebrations will take place around the Plaza de Cibeles in the capitals centre.

Meanwhile, the players are being lauded, among them defender Marc Cucurella, who has become a folk hero thanks to his big hair and an online song about him which has gone viral.

The lyrics feature paella and beer - it's a chant often heard in the stands of his league club, Chelsea.

Thebuoyant atmosphere surrounding the footballcontrasts with Spains rancorous and often toxic politics, where the left-wing government and right-wing opposition seldom agree on anything.

The football team provides arare rallying point. Parties and politicians have celebrated not just the results but the emergence of players, like Lamine Yamal, who turned 17 on Saturday and has turned out to be the star.

This team also represents Spains multi-cultural reality. Yamals father is Moroccan and his mother is from Equatorial Guinea, while Nico Williamss Ghanaian parents reached Spain after travelling across the Sahara Desert and scaling a fence that surrounds the enclave of Melilla.

Yamal has underlined his humble origins, holding his fingers up after scoring to show the postcode 304, the working-class, multi-cultural district of the Catalan town of Mataró where he grew up.

Its a place that a member of the far-right Vox party, Manuel Gavira, once described as a "multi-cultural dung heap".

But the overwhelming sensation is that Spaniards are embracing their team, both for its performances and what it represents.

El Periódico newspaper said "a young Spain, sassy and reinvigorated, has become the mirror for a country which has changed and is multi-racial and diverse".

Even King Felipe joined in the plaudits, saying that the mens team, radiated "excitement, joy and security", while praising the "sparkle" of Yamal.

It's easy to forget that Yamal's selection raised eyebrows and led to accusations that De la Fuente - a relatively junior coach who had never worked with a top-flight club - did not have the experience to succeed.

On the face of it, the team was a far cry from the star-studded side that conquered two European titles and the World Cup between 2008-2012.

Now, there is a feeling that the national team has returned to the elite, restoring theself-esteem of Spanish fansin the process.

Results are an obvious reason for the renewed belief. It has six wins out of six “ a first for any team in the Euros “ against opponents that included not just Didier Deschampss France, but also hosts Germany and Euro 2020 champions Italy.

The style of those victories has also been crucial. Gone is the close-passing, possession-obsessed "tiki-taka" play which brought Spain so much success in the past. Instead, Spain is playing more directly, with two of its emerging stars, Williams and Yamal, wreaking havoc down the wings.

The result is a less controlled and more thrilling style than in the past.

Spanish fans, who abhor dull football, have bought into it.

"Spain is going to win, without a doubt," said Luis García, a Venezuelan migrant who supports Spain.

"Theyve shown that they are the best team. Its amazing that the team has improved so much with this younger generation of players and that our hopes rest on these kids." (BBC)