Pain, curse, trauma
Spanish Armada opens England’s deepest wounds
By David Bedürftig, Berlin
15.07.2024, 05:19 a.m.
Oh, England! The national trauma continues because the English national football team has been cursed since 1966. In the European Championship final, Spain rediscovers historical sea battles – and inflicts tears and “heartache” on the Three Lions.
There they are again, the comeback kings. As they have done so often at the European Championships in Germany, they strike out of nowhere in the final in Berlin. They are unstoppable. England equalizes with their first shot on goal in the second half against a shocked Spaniard, who had previously dominated the final, and turns the game on its head. But just a short time later, frustration and pain reign. The Furia Roja snatches their fourth European Championship title with a 2-1 (0-0) victory – and in doing so dramatically reopens a deep wound for the Three Lions.
Because the Iberians can also score last-minute goals, as every German football fan knows only too well. And so this European Championship final in the sold-out Olympic Stadium is a highly exciting story with a late winning goal from the Spanish national team – which catapults England back into the valley of tears. A trauma that English football finally wanted to put behind it is reviving. The curse that they finally wanted to defeat is brutally making a comeback.
When the Spanish Armada was crushed by England’s fleet in 1588 and the end of a world empire began, when from 1739 to 1742 the two colonial powers fought over a cut off ear When Spain and Spain were at war, no one could have guessed that the rivalry of history could spill over onto the football pitch one day. That the Spanish Armada would be revived on the pitch 436 years later with another golden generation in the person of Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Dani Olmo and helmsman Rodri – fast, agile and dangerous like the English ships of the time. That in Berlin the supremacy would be fought out not on the seven seas but in world football and that Spain would emerge as the clear winner, European champion and top favorite for the 2026 World Cup in the New World, in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
“Three Lions suffer heartache”
While the Furia Roja lifted the silver trophy, England coach Gareth Southgate acknowledged after the final whistle: “We were not good enough to win the game.” The English press, not known for holding back, saw it as “an agony for England” (“Daily Mail”) and “another disappointment” (“Mirror”). The tabloid “The Sun” judged: “Three Lions suffer further heartbreak – Southgate and his heroes fall at the final hurdle.”
The tens of thousands of English fans in the capital on Saturday and Sunday are full of anticipation. This time it just has to work. This time football has to come home. This time the curse that has weighed on the Three Lions since 1966 will be broken, when they beat Germany in the World Cup final with the legendary Wembley goal and never won a major tournament again (unlike the women, who won the European Championship in 2022). The fans sing “Hey Jude” by the Beatles with all their hearts before kick-off and everything seems to be set for a day for the history books.
But nothing happens for a long time. What the 22 men on the pitch do in the first 45 minutes doesn’t look like they’re trying to conquer the football empire. Spain dominates with passing and possession, but can’t create a single big chance. The biggest upset: midfield boss Rodri’s shirt, which he is usually the only one on the field to neatly tuck in, slips out of his trousers. The man from Manchester City, who takes his teammate Phil Foden out of the game completely, has the game under control with his teammate Fabián Ruiz and is later named player of the tournament. The Guardian writes in the live ticker: “Pint of wine anyone?” Would anyone like a glass of wine to combat the boredom?
But the Three Lions are quite happy with that. Victory over the curse is still possible, the valley of pain seems far away. England even has their best chance in the person of Foden just before half-time: With the only shot from the men from the island, the offensive artist slides the ball but does not get it strong enough to hit keeper Unai Simon’s goal. But the most important thing is that Spain’s highly praised offensive has so far been nipped in the bud.
England frees itself from distress at sea
The second half, however, is spectacular, dramatic – and historic. It starts with a rapid start and the rebirth of the Spanish Armada. Yamal drives a quick attack down the right into the box. The prodigy, who celebrated his 17th birthday on Saturday and became the youngest player ever in a European Championship final at the kick-off, passes to the left at exactly the right moment to Williams, who finishes humorlessly and directly and hits the far corner of the goal (47th minute). The two friends cheer, Spain’s supporters go wild, Yamal gets his fourth assist of the tournament. It all happens too quickly for the English fleet, which comes along like a heavy oil tanker.
How do the Three Lions respond? Not at all at first. Just a minute later, Olmo, who had just thrown Walker off his game with a run to make it 1-0, had the next goal on his feet. But the Leipzig player missed after an outstanding ball control from eleven meters. And just after that, when the Spanish fans were chanting the national anthem, Álvaro Morata was suddenly through – again the pass came from Yamal – and flicked the ball past Pickford, but also past the goal. Just a few seconds later, Williams slammed the ball just wide of the left post from 20 meters.
England is swimming, England is in acute distress, England feels the curse taking over again. England looks beaten. But because the Spanish Armada does not score a second time, England is still in the game – and, as so often in the tournament, hits back ice cold. Out of nowhere, there is a respectable attack via Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham passes back again with a short touch in the box, where substitute Cole Palmer rushes in and shoots with a well-placed shot into the left corner of the goal (73′).
Spain historic, England weeps
England shows the curse and becomes a horror movie character that keeps coming back to life. If the team wins all four knockout games after falling behind, that would be a historic achievement. No team has ever managed that in a major tournament, and England itself has only managed such a comeback before the European Championship round of 16 three times in 94 years. Instead, Spain secures its historic fourth European Championship title, with the Furia Roja overtaking Germany as the sole record winner.
And the Three Lions’ deep wound gapes open again. The national trauma of simply not being able to win a men’s title is receiving a new, tragic chapter. After the bitter defeat in the penalty shootout against Italy at the 2021 European Championship, this time it is a goal in the 86th minute that sucks all the air out of the English sails. That turns the hope and joy of the fans into tears.
When Yamal had a mega chance after a dream combination from Armada – Jordan Pickford was there with a good save – the fans in the red shirts responded with shouts of “Si, se puede”. We can do it. And they actually did it: Marc Cucurella showed the German fans, who were still booing stupidly for his handball in the quarter-finals, how it was done, playing a precise cross to Mikel Oyarzabal, who had just come onto the field, and who flicked the ball into the net just before Pickford for the great triumph.
Deep wound torn open
The Three Lions did get another crazy three-header chance, but after the missed opportunity, nothing more than loud English curses could be heard until the final whistle. This time, the Spanish Armada won and the young team is likely to cause a real stir on the world of football in the coming years. While a few hundred kilometers away in the afternoon, another Spaniard, just four years older than him, Carlos Alcaraz, made a less than practiced bow to Princess Kate after winning the Wimbledon final, in Berlin, child prodigy Yamal gave Spanish King Felipe a friendly high-five as if it were an everyday occurrence for a 17-year-old.
21,169 days of agonizing waiting since 1966 – and the curse continues. It hits right to the core. It hurts the deeply emotional fans from the island again. Pain-distorted English faces reign on the pitch and outside the stadium. One fan holds his arms above his head for minutes, completely shocked. Others let their frustration run free and curse: “We win shit every damn tournament!”
A little boy is close to tears on the subway. He has yet to understand that the new empire will probably raise the red flag on the pitch in the coming years. He has yet to learn about the curse and the ever-new tragedies of his team. The pain that always accompanies English football. The deep wound that has been opened up once again.