Spain coach Luis de la Fuente rejected the idea that his side are the favourites to win Sunday’s European Championship final against England at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
De la Fuente, 63, insists his team must be even better than they were in victories over Germany and France in the previous rounds if they are to win the competition for a record-breaking fourth time.
“There are no favourites,” De la Fuente said in a news conference on Saturday. “It’s an even match-up, just as our previous knockout games were. If we are not above the level we displayed in those games, we won’t have a chance of winning — and the same if we make mistakes.
ESPN
Sign In
SCORES
Football Football
Home
Euro 2024
Copa América
Scores
Fixtures
Transfers
Teams
Leagues & Cups
Tables
Euro 2024: Spain boss downplays favourites tag ahead of final
play
Spain boss De la Fuente expects England final to be a ‘fantastic show’ (1:20)
Sam Marsden, Barcelona correspondent
Jul 13, 2024, 08:17 PM
Share
LikeLike
Open Extended Reactions
LikeLaugh
13
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente rejected the idea that his side are the favourites to win Sunday’s European Championship final against England at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
De la Fuente, 63, insists his team must be even better than they were in victories over Germany and France in the previous rounds if they are to win the competition for a record-breaking fourth time.
“There are no favourites,” De la Fuente said in a news conference on Saturday. “It’s an even match-up, just as our previous knockout games were. If we are not above the level we displayed in those games, we won’t have a chance of winning — and the same if we make mistakes.
EDITOR’S PICKS
Why Spain have been the most entertaining team at Euro 2024
2dSam Marsden
Euro 2024 final preview: Spain vs. England, key players, predictions, tactics
2dJames Olley and Sam Marsden
Yamal: Messi pic was hidden to limit comparisons
2dSam Marsden and Moises Llorens
“It’s fantastic to be here and we are excited to be in the final. It’s the one of the biggest sporting achievements there is. We are relaxed and looking forward to playing.
“Sunday will be a complicated game against a great team, between the best two teams [in the tournament], that’s why we are in the final.
“These matches, which are so even, are often decided by the finer details. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will have the best chance of winning.”
Spain were not among the outright favourites before the finals begun but have been the most impressive side in Germany this summer.
They have won all six of their games so far, scoring a tournament-high 13 goals, and De la Fuente says they will stick to their attacking style of football on Sunday.