Spain WINS
What a great final we got on Sunday! We have to go back to the last time Spain won it, in 2012, to find the last time it was decided during regular time. Finals can easily get restrained, with teams focusing more on not losing than on actually winning. But in this game, one team especially really went for it – Spain.
England put up a great fight. The best defence of the tournament went up against the best offence of the tournament, and the offence won. Throughout the tournament, Spain has been a level above the other teams. The best team of the Euros by far.
The Spaniards won all of their games, scored 15 and only conceded four. They also had a tough path to the final. World cup 2018 runners up and 2022 third placed Croatia, the last Euros winner Italy, host nation Germany and favourites to win it France were all defeated on their way to glory.
Basque Influence
This year, in a team that’s often dominated by Barcelona and Real Madrid players, it was the Basque country that contributed the most. Seven of the players used on Sunday are Basque. The small region with only two million inhabitants provided almost half the talent for a country of 48 million. Simon, Laporte, Le Normand, Nico Williams Jr., Zubimendi, Oyarzabal and Merino are all Basque. What a football culture that region has, what are they putting in the pintxos up in the Basque country?
It was also a relatively young squad. Did you know that Yamal was only 16 when the tournament started… (impressive as it is, I’m glad that worn out piece of trivia is over.) While there are a few outliers, like Jesus Navas, who’s older than Yamal’s dad, most of these players will at least be kind of in their prime still. National teams rarely get to play for that long together.
The same can be said for large parts of the England squad. That midfield of Rice, Mainoo and Bellingham could get four more championships together, and an attack with Watkins, Saka, Palmer and Foden could play for three more.
New Spanish Philosophy
It’s a changed Spanish team. Luis de la Fuente has taken his foot off the possession throttle and started playing more direct. Before his taking over, the team averaged over 70% possession – this tournament it was 58%. The direct approach suits these players very well. Fabian Ruiz in the middle distributes the balls out wide. The wide players, Williams Jr. and Yamal take them down the line or cut in for the wing backs to overlap. There’s nothing new about the strategy, but it works.
The contrast on Sunday was huge. The players available are practically all world class in their position and playing in the best teams in the world. Despite the attacking talent in the English team, they refused to command the game. In possession they played mostly sideways and it felt like there was a lack of movement. That’s why, whenever Watkins came on and started making runs, the attacking spaces opened up a lot more.
The Spanish team, however, still lacks that one striker. Alvaro Morata does a lot of hard work up top but he’s consistently struggled to get goals in the national team. This tournament, despite playing seven games up top for the best team, only managed to get one goal. If Spain gets someone up top that can provide that service, they look unstoppable.
Looking Forward
The Spaniards will celebrate for a while and then it’s time to focus on the next competition, the 2026 World Cup. And they’ll have high expectations. Most of the players in this title winning team will still be playing, will still be in, or even, approaching their prime.
Seems like Southgate, who's taken England to two consecutive finals, will keep his job for the World Cup. He’s got two years to figure out how to really get the best out of his star studded squad. England, surely, will be one of the favourites to win it then.
Football Stories Like This, Twice a Week
Join thousands of subscribers getting The Touchline - a free, twice weekly newsletter with analysis, stories and interviews from the world of football.
