Spain wins UEFA Nations League (Sports News) – After going through the last 10 years without a major trophy, Spain are back on top. At De Kulp Stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, The Furia Roja defeated Croatia 5-4 on penalties after a goalless final to capture the third-ever UEFA Nations league title.
Spain wins UEFA Nations League – Match Recap
The third final UNL was much-anticipated after the regular club seasons in Europe wrapped up. Apart from Spain and Croatia, other countries vying for a podium spot were the Netherlands and Italy. The latter two lost their respective semi-finals and competed in the 3rd place battle, as the Azzurri held off the Oranje 3-2 to take the bronze.
The final was much different, as the match was purely defensive. After 90 minutes of regular time, the extra 30-minute time period failed to see anyone reach the net. In the shootout, both Croatia and Spain’s first three kicktakers all struck home.
Afterwards, Lovro Majer missed the first penalty for the Chequered Ones. Marco Asensio converted the following penalty to give Spain the lead. Ivan Perisic then levelled for Croatia, and Aymeric Laporte missed afterwards, throwing away the chance to clinch the game. In the first sudden death round, Bruno Petkovic’s effort was cooly saved by Unai Simon. Then, Dani Carvajal finally closed out the game with a panenka shot, ending the Furia Roja’s decade-long drought.
Spain wins UEFA Nations League – Manager’s Statement
Guardiola exclaimed that Man City’s success in the UCL was ‘written in the stars’.”Now is the time to celebrate,” said the 52-year-old, who won the European Cup as a Barca player in 1992.
“It is an honour for me be alongside Sir Alex Ferguson,” Guardiola said when he was compared to the legendary Man Utd figure. “People say I have to win trebles every season. I am a good manager but no. I like this competition for the fact we won it, it is part of history and the players will be remembered for the rest of their lives.”
“It is important now that people don’t forget what we have done. Maybe they can create a museum so the fans can look at the trophies,” added the Catalonia, Spain native.
Spain wins UEFA Nations League – Sweeter the 2nd time
Apart from ending their drought, Spain also avenged their 2021 loss in the competition’s final to France. It was also a morale booster for new manager Luis de la Fuente, after the Roja lost 0-2 to Scotland in their EURO 2024 qualifier.
Rodri, who was named Man of the Match, thought that this would start off a new wave of titles for the Spanish, especially with young talent such as Yeremy Pino, Ansu Fati and Gavi. Carvajal, who took the last penalty, also said that they used their early exit in Qatar as motivation to win.
Spain wins UEFA Nations League – Croats Disappointed Again
Meanwhile, the Croatians face disappointment again, failing to take home a trophy for their golden generation after podium finishes at World Cup 2018 (runner-up) and 2020 (3rd place). The Zlatko Dalic-led side were looking to hand a deserved victory to captain Luka Modric, who played his 166th international game.
The 37-year-old Modric, who had won five Champions League trophies with Real Madrid, is expected to make a statement about his international football career in the next few days. Fans chanted his name in the 10th minute, matching the number he wears, persuading him not to retire from Croatia as was rumoured.
If you want to stay updated on the latest in online sports betting in Singapore, bookmark our page or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest! Looking for on the go online betting options, check out the BetVision App! If you want to get started on playing, check out our banner below! or register using the button above!
BetVision, Bringing Gaming to You!
