The 18th of June 2014 will go down in Spanish history, that is for sure.

King Juan Carlos signed the papers to step down as monarch after 39 years on the throne and the national team were clinically excised from the World Cup, marking the definitive end of a golden age which began when Luis Aragones’ team won Euro 2008 espousing a glorious new creed called tiki-taka.

Even El Pais newspaper was unsure which end of empire deserved higher billing on its front page, but there is no doubt which abdication will be the talk of the town tomorrow.

The streets here in North-West Spain are eerily quiet. At 11pm sharp someone turned off the usual volume. The rows of outdoor cafes either emptied or were suddenly drained of their normal chatter and vivacity which make this country a home of real nightlife.

The …