England’s hopes were dashed in the Euro 2024 final as Spain secured a 2-1 victory with a late goal from Mikel Oyarzabal in the 86th minute. Cole Palmer, coming on as a substitute, had equalized after Nico Williams’ initial goal trang cá cược bóng đá. With this defeat, England’s quest for a trophy will stretch to 60 years by the time the 2026 World Cup arrives.
Gary Neville attributed England’s 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final to their recurring issues with ball retention and game control.
Mikel Oyarzabal’s late goal sealed Spain’s well-deserved victory at the Olympiastadion, marking Gareth Southgate’s team as the first nation to lose consecutive European championship finals.
However, according to Neville, England’s perennial issue of being unable to compete effectively against superior passing sides such as Spain—evident in their mere 35 percent possession in Berlin—ultimately led to their downfall.
Neville told ITV Sport that Southgate’s explanation of England’s shortcomings in ball retention should be the central theme of any book about the team.
Every England manager has echoed the sentiment, every England player has experienced it firsthand on the pitch, where fatigue sets in and we often struggle in the latter stages of matches, while the opposition grows stronger.
“And it’s a cycle that keeps repeating itself. These young lads have achieved something remarkable by reaching a final, surpassing our own achievements, yet some familiar patterns have emerged.”
Spain had numerous opportunities and could have secured victory before we managed to equalize. Although we eventually leveled the score, we were in danger of being 2-0 down prior to that moment. Historically, England teams have struggled to maintain control in crucial matches across many tournaments, and this remains a persistent issue.
Having to defend deep and then transition the entire team from our own penalty area to the opponent’s goal is incredibly challenging.
“You might scrape by with a win here and there, maybe even string together a couple of victories. However, sooner or later, you come up against a team that simply outmatches you in terms of skill and ability. That’s precisely what happened tonight.”
Neville, however, worries that this agonizing late defeat might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for Southgate and his team Gavangtv. The former England right-back is anxious about their recovery following two devastating final losses, as the nation’s quest for a significant tournament triumph extends to 58 years without success.
“We talk about Spain; they lost their top player [Rodri] at halftime, yet they still managed to deliver such a performance in the second half,” he continued. “They also had to cope without Pedri earlier in the tournament, who was arguably one of the best midfielders in the competition.”
“Our players are completely devastated. I recall four tournaments ago, during the World Cup semi-final against Croatia, I wondered if they would experience this moment again. They have returned time and again, and my heart goes out to them now. I have no words to express how deeply they must be hurting.”
“The fans behind the goal are utterly devastated. It feels like we’ve reached a breaking point, like we can’t endure this much longer. How much longer can we go on like this?”
Regarding the manager’s future, Neville suggests that Southgate will take some time to reflect on whether he wishes to continue in a position he has held for eight years.
“It’s a significant question. I feel uneasy discussing Gareth’s future right now, considering everything he’s accomplished in the past seven or eight years,” he remarked.
“I believe he will carefully assess things over the next week and decide whether the timing is appropriate.”
“At times, this tournament has been challenging for him. Earlier in the competition, he described the atmosphere as unconventional.”
