INTERNATIONAL PRESS REVIEWS - "Spain wins the derby between the two most beautiful teams in Europe"
## Spain
"Marca": "Heroic Feat by Spain. In a game with extra time, epic moments and grandeur, Spain writes an unforgettable chapter in its history. A leap from Merino seals a historic afternoon. Luis de la Fuente's team does not negotiate the word 'impossible'.
"AS": "Heads into the Final. (...) For Quincoces, Zarra, Arconada, Quini, Camacho, Zubizarreta, Butragueno, Joaquin, Busquets...for them and for all those who in their time tried to beat the host of a World or European Championship and failed. They passed the test.
"Sport": "Goal through Spain.
"Mundo Deportivo": "La Roja had to suffer at the hands of a strong Germany and advanced thanks to a goal from Merino in the last minute of extra time. End of the curse of the host: Spain is in the semifinals.
United Kingdom
"The Sun": "Mikel Merino ends Germany's summer fairy tale with a sensational late winning goal."
"The Guardian": "Mikel Merino breaks Germany's heart. Spain eliminates Germany from the EM. Germany's second fairy tale is over, but Spain's goes on.
"Daily Mail": "Spain breaks Germany's heart. We have our first semifinalists of the 2024 EM - and it's not Germany. The journey of the hosts ended in Stuttgart with a header goal from Mikel Merino in extra time.
Italy
"Gazzetta dello Sport": "Merino's Scream! Goal in the 119th, Spain is in the semifinals. Germany is angry and laments a missed penalty.
"Corriere dello Sport": "A goal from Merino in extra time makes Spain the hero. Germany KO, but there were many errors from Taylor.
"Tuttosport": "Merino becomes the Spanish hero in extra time. Germany out, but with how many mistakes from Taylor.
"La Repubblica": "Spain wins the Derby of the two most beautiful teams in Europe. The only sad thing is that we have to say goodbye to one of the two best teams of the tournament and to champions like Kroos in the last game of his career, Kimmich, Wirtz and Musiala.
France
RMC Sport: "After an exciting game, Spain advances to the semifinals of the European Football Championship 2024 with a 2:1 win over host Germany!"
"Le Parisien": "Despite heroic resistance for 120 minutes, Germany had to give in to Spain. La Roja is the first qualifier for the Tuesday semifinal in Munich.
"Le Figaro": "Spain pulls off a major coup. (...) The Germans remained behind the expectations in the last international tournaments and failed again to reach the round of the last four at an EM or WM, a level they have not reached since the EM 2016.
Austria
"Kronen Zeitung": "Spain ends Germany's dream of the title at the Home EM. "La Roja" beats the host in the Viertelfinal-Thriller with 2:1 after extra time.
"Der Standard": "Drama in Stuttgart: Spain destroys Germany's dreams in extra time"
"Kurier": "Last-Minute Shock for Germany: Spain is in the EURO semi-finals. The dreams of the next German fairy tale are shattered. The Spaniards celebrate after 120 minutes with a 2:1 success."
Switzerland
"Neue Zürcher Zeitung": "Late exit in a big match: In the 119th minute, Germany had to concede defeat to Spain. The quarter-final was fiercely contested, the match was so intense that it almost overwhelmed the audience. The defeated Germans had nothing to reproach themselves for."
"Luzerner Zeitung": "Spain defeats Germany thanks to a late goal and advances to the EURO semi-finals. For Germany, the dream of the EURO title in their own country ends in the quarter-finals. Germany loses to Spain in Stuttgart after extra time with 1:2."
"Berner Zeitung": "Completely disintegrated – the Germans are suddenly completely disintegrated. They tremble, they storm and save themselves in extra time. But then the tournament ends for the Germans in the quarter-finals against Spain dramatically."
- The Daily Mail reported on Spain's victory over Germany, praising Mikel Merino for his last-minute goal that secured their place in the semifinals of the European Championship.
- The Guardian also covered the game, commenting on Merino's goal that broke Germany's heart and advanced Spain to the next round.
- Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo highlighted Spain's historic achievement, pointing out that they had broken the curse of the host and advanced to the semifinals for the first time in years.
- German outlet 'Der Spiegel' criticized the referee Anthony Taylor for his errors during the game, which they believed contributed to Germany's defeat.
- The Frankfurt-based newspaper 'Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung' focused on the performance of the German national soccer team, expressing disappointment in their inability to advance beyond the quarterfinals despite their strong squad.
- The press commentary in the German Football Association (DFB) magazine praised Luis de la Fuente's tactics and described Merino as a key player in Spain's victory.
- Finally, The New York Times published an article analyzing the impact of the game on both teams, noting that Spain had cemented their position as one of the favorites to win the tournament, while Germany would need to regroup and reassess their strategy for future competitions.
