Spain win Nations League final in penalty shootout
Spain's Unai Simon saves a penalty from Croatia's Bruno Petkovic during the penalty shootout.
PHOTO: Reuters
PUBLISHED ONJune 19, 2023 12:45 AM
ROTTERDAM - Spain beat Croatia 5-4 in a penalty shootout to win their first title in a decade as they secured the Nations League on Sunday (June 18).
The final at the Feyenoord Stadium ended goalless after extra time, leaving the trophy to be settled on spotkicks with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon emerging as the hero.
He saved Croatia’s fourth kick from Lovro Majer giving Spain’s Aymeric Laporte the chance to win the shootout but he hammered the ball against the bar.
Simon then saved again from Bruno Petkovic to hand Spain a second chance to win, which Dani Carvajal took with a chipped finish.
Spain’s head coach Luis de la Fuente said after the match that this victory could get the country back on a winning streak.
“These players are used to winning,” De la Fuente told reporters early on Monday.
“They have won so much coming through the ranks and this can continue, I think this competitive streak is back and we can look forward to winning more.”
Spain’s first trophy since Euro 2012 provided a welcome boost to De la Fuente himself as well, as he had come under pressure after losing his second match in charge 2-0 against Scotland in a Euro 2024 qualifier in March.
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That shock defeat followed a disappointing Qatar World Cup under previous coach Luis Enrique in which the 2010 world champions were defeated by Morocco in the round of 16.
“I know this generation of players very well and I knew they wouldn’t let me down,” De La Fuente said.
“We’ve been very relaxed throughout this week and enjoyed our training sessions.”
The coach said this work had paid off during the tense goalless draw at the Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam, in which both sides squandered a range of chances at the win.
“I told them to stay calm, because they had done a brilliant job. We would have deserved to win the game earlier, but this makes the win even more epic,” he added.
“I would have been happy even if we hadn’t won tonight, but winning adds the gloss and of course makes everyone happier.”