Euro 2024 final: Cautious Spanish optimism and confidence overwhelm the England coach's statements

England national team coach Gareth Southgate confirmed that he is not worried about the Spanish national team, its opponent in the final of the European Championship 2024, but he knows the capabilities of the Spaniards well and their love for possession of the ball, stressing at the same time that the performance of the “Three Lions” national team has improved in the last three matches, especially against the Netherlands.

In contrast, Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed that the English national team has great potential, noting that his team will try to commit fewer mistakes against its opponent.

Luis de la Fuente, coach of the Spanish national team, expects that the confrontation against England tomorrow, Sunday, at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin in the final of the European Nations Cup (Euro 2024) will be “equal and very competitive” despite the opponent’s faltering during its journey to the final.

De La Fuente said in a press conference on Saturday: “It is the final match, so it will be very equal, and very competitive. People should know that these matches are always decided by small details.”

Spain's best team

The Spanish national team is considered the best among all Euro 2024 teams, as it has won all six of its matches so far and eliminated the host Germany in the quarter-finals.

The Spanish national team became the first to win six matches during one edition of the Euro, and is one step away from holding the record and winning the continental title for the fourth time after achieving it in 1964, 2008 and 2012.

On the other hand, the England national team suffered during its campaign in the group stage and then fell behind in the result during its three matches in the elimination rounds, but De La Fuente commented on this by saying, “We realize that there is no candidate to win tomorrow.”

He pointed out, "We realize that if we do not play better than the level we have shown so far, if we do not focus fully and if we make mistakes, we will not be able to win."

When asked what he asked of his players before the final match, the Spain coach replied, "I did not ask them for anything specific for tomorrow's match. I see their faces and I see their morale. I will ask them to enjoy what they got. I want them to enjoy tomorrow's match."

The Spain coach concluded his speech by saying, "Our young players learn from the experience of those older than them, and experienced players also benefit from the happiness that younger players bring."

England national team confidence

Gareth Southgate, the England national team coach, encouraged his players to finish the task they began in the winter of 2022 by defeating Spain in the final of the European Championship 2024. Southgate said in a press conference on Saturday: “The work environment was wonderful, and we now have a great opportunity to achieve what we planned after bidding farewell to the World Cup in Qatar in "An earlier stage than we wanted."

England qualified for the European Championship final for the second time in a row after losing at Wembley to Italy on penalties in the 2020 tournament.

The English are seeking to obtain the European title for the first time in their history, as it will be the first major title they have achieved in 58 years, but they will face a major challenge, as the Spanish national team, the three-time European champion, is the best team in the current edition in Germany and has not lost a single match.

Southgate confirmed that his team, consisting of 26 players, is prepared and ready to go, stressing his complete satisfaction with the method of preparation.

The English coach said that he showed his players pictures of Trafalgar Square witnessing celebrations of the previous successes of the rugby and cricket teams in an attempt to motivate his players.

“When you try to create dreams, you want a clear picture of what will happen in the end,” Southgate added.

The England coach continued, "I do not believe in fairy tales, but I believe in dreams. We have big dreams, but we have to achieve them. The journey we went through, the late goals and penalty kicks, all do not matter, and will not achieve what we want."

Source: Koura + Agencies