Winning a trophy is “the most incredible feeling” that a professional footballer can experience, said the 30-year-old from FC Bayern on Saturday, just 24 hours before the final on Sunday evening (9 p.m./live ServusTV and ARD) once morest Spain. It would also be “something very, very special” for the English fans to experience this “historic moment”.
England has been waiting for another victory in a major football tournament since winning the World Cup in 1966. At the last European Championship in 2021, the “Three Lions” lost to Italy in London. “Many of us were devastated following that final,” said Kane, who is still waiting for a major title at club level despite moving from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern a year ago. “It speaks volumes for the mentality of the team. I’m very happy to be back here, of course we want to take that final step.”
Southgate: “Don’t believe in fairy tales”
National coach Gareth Southgate, who as a professional missed a penalty in the 1996 semi-final once morest Germany in England, said he “doesn’t believe in fairytales” – but he does believe in dreams. “We have a great opportunity to achieve what we’ve been working towards tomorrow,” said the 53-year-old, who can call on all of his national players.
In contrast to Spain’s coach Luis de la Fuente, who has to do without Pedri and Ayoze Perez due to injury. For the most important game of his coaching career so far, the 63-year-old expects a duel on equal terms. “We’ll leave that to the bookmakers and journalists to decide who is the favorite,” said de la Fuente. England and Spain are “the two best” teams. These types of games are decided “in tiny details,” said the national coach, whose team has always emerged victorious at this European Championship.
