The Olympic Stadium in Berlin will host the final (20:00?) of the European Championship between Spain and England this Sunday. Both teams are heading into the decider aiming to secure a place in the history of the competition, albeit for different reasons.
On one side, a young Spanish team, aiming for its fourth European title. This mark will put La Roja at the top of the list of winners. The irreverence of this new Spanish generation has found expression in Lamine Yamal. This Saturday, the Barcelona prodigy turns 17 and is heading to the European Championship final, hoping to win, before he even reaches adulthood, a title that has eluded stars like Johan Cruyff, Eusebio, Paolo Maldini, Dennis Bergkamp and Andrea Pirlo for decades. Spain seems to have identified the cornerstones of a generation that will seek to repeat the success achieved between 2008 and 2012 (two European Championships and a World Cup).
On the other side is England, who have not won an international competition since the 1966 World Cup, where they even knocked out Eusebio’s Portuguese side. Gareth Southgate has almost always been the target of harsh criticism from English fans, but the truth is that the manager has led the team to a second successive European final, a competition that has always eluded the English.
Now the Three Lions want to ensure that this time around the result is different to 2021, when the title was snatched by inches in the final against Italy on penalties. For that to happen, it is vital that Harry Kane plays a leading role. The Bayern striker is one of the best in the world, but he is struggling to resist the “curse” that has been associated with him. In 14 seasons of senior football, Harry Kane has failed to win a single team title.
So, not only the European Championship is at stake, but also a place in football history.