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Given the nature of tournament football (especially international tournament football), I think tactics play a relatively minor role. Besides obviously talent, fitness, etc, the next most important ingredient for winning something like the Euros or the WC, in my opinion (besides a bit of luck) is nerve, or strength of character. No one can question the talent of a number of German players during the Low era but, you'd have to agree, there's been doubts about quite a few of them in that particular area, at least until only very recently. Spain didn't always win every tournament by playing brilliant football, but they were always unflappable in the big games. For all their diminutive stature and emphasis on flair rather than strength, they were as hard as nails where they needed to be. Ramos? Puyol? Busquets? These weren't necessarily the most technically gifted players but they were all big game ones. Add that to the ice cool intelligence of Xavi and Xabi-Alonso, and the out and out skill of Iniesta, and you have the real reason why Spain were able to dominate the way they did.
We can blame some of Germany's alleged mental fragility on Low but it was something that, until last season, also appeared to be an issue with Heynckes' Bayern. So we really have to point the finger mainly at individual players. (And Low did take them to a final, in Euro 2008.)
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