EM-Finale - History written: Spain EM-Heroes before 'new era'
Lamine Yamal danced with a red-yellow cowboy hat on the table and filmed, while in the Dressing Room, the new European Champions' oversized glasses were being filled with beer. The Spanish footballers' championship party after the 2:1 (0:0) in the EM Final against England started immediately after the final whistle - and was supposed to last deep into the night till Tuesday.
"A dream has come true", said Yamal, whose video reached millions of people and even captured some teammates' exposed behinds. On Saturday, the Spanish prodigy celebrated his 17th birthday. On Sunday, the FC Barcelona professional prepared the goalkeeper position for - and was one of the faces of the furious team on Monday, which in the euphoria of victory was predicted to have a great future.
"Hopefully it will continue like this with our national team – also at the World Championship", said the 22-year-old Nico Williams, after he had picked up the trophy for the best player of the Final. "Never before has there been a European Champion with more goals, never a winner with seven consecutive wins in a row", it read in the newspaper "Sport". In the "Mundo Deportivo", dreams of a "new era" in football were being dreamed of.
"I am proud, I am happy", said National Trainer Luis de la Fuente late in the Final night. "No one gave us anything." The 63-year-old repeatedly emphasized what a "privilege" it was to work with these players. With a generation that "has a fantastic future ahead of it and can write history".
Worthy successors of the great champions
At previous tournaments, the Spaniards had always had trouble living up to the oversized footsteps of the European and World Champions of 2008, 2010 and 2012. Players like Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Fernando Torres had shaped an era. "They speak in Spain about the previous generation all the time", said Rodri, who outperformed the German team at the World Cup and is still far from the end of his career at 28. "But now we have written history."
Rodri, Yamal, Williams, Marc Cucurella (25), Fabian Ruiz (28), RB Leipzig's Dani Olmo (26), the injured Barca star Pedri (21) - the Spanish European Champions' framework could still play together for years. In addition come talents like the 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi, who was nominated for the U23 instead of the EM at the Olympics; or the 19-year-old Gavi, who missed the tournament due to a knee injury. "This is a unique team, we all pull in the same direction", said Williams.
Instead of being dominated by the blocks of the big clubs from Madrid and Barcelona as in previous generations, this Furia Roja seems more diverse. The training of new talents no longer only works in the well-known academies. The mood in Spain is comparable to that in Germany, where Julian Nagelsmann's national team was briefly the mood maker in difficult societal political times.
"This team deserves to bring the people onto the streets", it still read on the internet page of the always euphoric Madrid sports newspaper "Marca" on Sunday. In the "AS", it was praised that the selection had managed to "enchant the world with its football and talents".
De la Fuente made efforts for categorization far beyond football and sounded like the proudest father. "It's football, but here it's also about values, sport nourishes values", said the 63-year-old. "This generation sets an example, it's young players who have the will and the mentality to work hard." It's not just the final result that counts, "but the entire process. These players are an example for society, because they embody these values."
"Not only spoiled boys"
The national trainer didn't know to what extent football could influence society, he said. But people saw not just "simple spoiled boys, but those who give everything," said de la Fuente. "It would be nice if people understood that and we could show young people what they can achieve in life."
The Spanish Football Association and the Spanish League have had big problems off the pitch in recent years. The former president Luis Rubiales, who kissed the World Cup winner Jennifer Hermoso unwanted and unsolicited during the award ceremony last year, is the opposite of a role model. In the aftermath of the scandal, de la Fuente also came under pressure because he did not distance himself quickly enough. In addition, there are constant racist insults in the stadiums - against Williams in the spring.
"I think footballers have an influence on society," said the professional from Athletic Bilbao, who speaks out loudly about notable problems. "I think it's a historic shift that's happening right now." Williams' father and his pregnant sister-in-law Maria had fled from Ghana to Europe long ago, living in poverty for a long time.
On Sunday evening, Williams was also congratulated by the Spanish King Felipe VI, who had come to the final with his daughter. During the tournament, the king had written and called several times, according to de la Fuente, who had spoken to Felipe VI in the dressing room before the match. Details he did not mention.
- The victorious Spanish team celebrated in the changing room, filling their oversized glasses with beer, following their 2:1 win against England in the UEFA Euro Finals.
- On Sunday, Nico Williams, the 22-year-old Barcelona professional, was a key player in the team's triumph and praised the team's potential for a bright future.
- The German coach, Hansi Flick, observed the Spanish team's triumph with keen interest, knowing that they had to face them in the upcoming soccer matches for Spain and Germany.
- In Barcelona's dressing room, Luis de la Fuente, the Spanish national team coach, expressed his pride and happiness with the team's historic victory in the EM.
- As the team parties continued into the night, Nico Williams looked forward to continuing their success at the upcoming World Championship, citing their seven consecutive wins as a testament to their talent.
- Barcelona-born players like Rodri and Nico Williams were hailed as worthy successors to the great champions of Spain's past, like Xavi, Iniesta, and Torres.
- On Saturday, Liga FC Barcelona hosted a viewing party for the European Finals given that their star player, Pedri, was unable to play due to injury.
- The Spanish team's historical success inspired sports fans across Europe, with England's Sports World expressing their admiration for the Furia Roja.
- After the match, De la Fuente emphasized the importance of the team's values in addition to their accomplishments, calling them an example for young people who aspire to work hard to achieve their goals.
- Once the celebrations died down, Barcelona's Luis de la Fuente would go to his local bar to enjoy a cold beer, reflecting on the team's incredible journey from underdogs to European Champions.
