Football

Spain and Pogacar, the dominators of Sunday sports between football and Tour

This European Championship is also over, with captain Alvaro Morata raising the Cup, decreeing Spain's triumph. Meanwhile at the Tour Pogacar is increasingly alone in the lead

15 July 2024

6' min read

Farewell Berlin. This European Championship is also over, with captain Alvaro Morata raising the Cup, decreeing the triumph of Spain who, for the fourth time (1964, 2008, 2012 2024), conquers the continental title.
It was richly deserved. And not only because La Roja reached the final winning seven times out of seven, but also by virtue of its game, its personality and its continuous ability to raise the bar: entertaining and entertaining. With extraordinary youngsters such as Lamine Yamal and Niko Williams (author of the first Spanish goal) who became stars by jumping barriers and prejudices. Yamal, 17 years old, Barcelona's outside player, says he saw the last final (the one won by Italy at Wembley) in a shopping centre in a remote Spanish suburb. Niko Williams, 22-year-old Bilbao striker, is a 'son of the desert' who arrived from Ghana after a long pilgrimage by his mother.

The curse continues

Those who are left with a fistful of flies is instead England, again beaten in the final as they were three years ago by Roberto Mancini's Italy. We Italians complain, and we have good reason, but the Whites have not won anything since the 1966 World Cup. A curse that continues. And this 2-1, which came after an incredibly boring first half, tells the truth anyway. The English, even against Spain, although not disfigured, showed that they relied more on the strength of pride and the flashes of individuals than on a solid choral structure. And even when they scored the equaliser in the 73rd minute with Palmer, they were unable to take advantage of the momentary disbandment of the Spaniards who then, in the 86th minute, with Oyarzabal, found the cue to conquer their fourth European Championship.

If Spain, well led by Luis De la Fuente, is reminiscent of an extraordinary orchestra where everyone plays from memory, England, on the other hand, looks like a group of virtuoso instrumentalists who are not always well tuned to each other. Many at home blame Gareth Southgate, no stranger to controversy and criticism. However, on closer inspection, even against Spain the English coach did not make any particular tactical errors. Indeed, he showed some courage when, after about an hour of invisibility, he replaced captain Kane with Watkins, decisive in the semi-final against Holland.

A beautiful and intense final

Palmer himself, the author of the momentary equalizer, had just been sent out by Southgate, always adept at making changes and overturning games that were already lost. On the other hand, let us say that some stars did not shine, starting with Bellingham (author of the assist to Palmer, however) and also Foden, from whom something more was expected.In a European Championship that was not always beautiful, this final, leaving aside the first 45 minutes, was instead extraordinary for its intensity and beauty. Nothing was missing. Pathos, continuous frontal reversals, the constant feeling that something could happen.

Spain, paradoxically, took the lead in the second half when they no longer had Rodri, the lighthouse, who remained in the dressing room with a muscle problem. Instead, after only two minutes, well served by Yamal, Niko Williams put the Roja ahead with an impeccable diagonal left-footed shot. Here England seemed to founder, with Jamal failing to deliver the knockout blow from an excellent position. Instead, perhaps thanks in part to the changes, came the equaliser from Palmer, another talented 22-year-old from Chelsea. This was perhaps where Spain's true soul, well moulded by its coach De la Fuente, an increasingly successful federal coach, was seen. In spite of the English pressure, the Spaniards resumed playing as before, with those tight and fast plots that put any defence in trouble. And in fact, in the 84th minute, after a very quick action, Yorzabal, served by Cocurella, with a dart put the Roja back in the lead.

Chilling ending

Then, because in life you have to be lucky as well as good, one minute from the end, in a frantic scrum, Dani Olmo, with the goalkeeper beaten, managed to clear a Saka dunk on the line. That was the last thrill. A triumph for Spain, yet another disappointment for England, losing for the second consecutive time in the European final. Also a record. Southgate, with the support of the royal family, should stay on until the 2026 World Cup. In short, he should get away with it. The one who is in a bad way is centre forward Harry Kane.

At the age of 31, despite his 400 goals, he has still not managed to win a trophy. This is the sixth time he has lost a final. In short, maybe next time it is better to leave him at home. As the man said, to be superstitious is ignorant, but not to be so is bad luck.

Tour de France, new Pogacar strike

Tadej Pogacar makes our heads spin. Every day, a new number. Every day, a new feat. Too superior, almost embarrassing. He seems unassailable, kissed by the gods like a Homeric hero. We still hadn't recovered from his exploit in Saturday's Tourmalet stage, where he had inflicted 40 seconds on Vingegaard in 4.5 kilometres, when the next day, at Plateau de Beille, the Slovenian invented another one of his own, dealing another blow to his eternal rival who had the audacity to attack him on the last tough climb before the finish of the 15th Pyrenean stage. He had never done it. In the first five kilometres Vingegaard pushed on at full throttle.

He is pale, emaciated, thin as an eel, but he goes up with admirable determination to test how far Pogacar is attackable. Could this phenomenon be having a moment of fatigue? A crisis of hunger? A crisis of thirst? A sore muscle? A hidden frailty? Nothing, Pogacar is Pogacar. As if it were nothing, he clings to Jonas like an ivy. For five kilometres he follows him with his usual impunity face. Do you provoke me? Do you want to frighten me? Fine, I'll show you who's boss. At just over five kilometres, when the terrible slope softens, Tadej gives his usual whiplash. It's a moment, but it's enough to break the chain that keeps the two rivals tied.

And at that point there was nothing more to be done: the Slovenian took flight and the courageous Jonas, though supported by his stubborn determination, saw him slip away hairpin after hairpin. Impossible, light, fiercely determined to give another shove to the only man who could prevent him from winning his third Tour de France and equalling Marco Pantani's famous one-two (pink jersey and yellow jersey) in 1998. This time, on this last Pyrenean Sunday, the gap is even heavier. With time bonuses, Vingegaard gets a minute and eight seconds. That added to the rest brings to over three minutes the Dane's delay in the classification from the yellow jersey. A significant gap, but not a resounding one. Or rather, not so resounding if it weren't for this Pogacar, so on the ball and so focused on his goal. Three minutes, with still a week to go and the Alps to overcome, would be both a lot and a little at the same time.

How many times at the Tour has there been a reversal in the last days? Fignon, beaten in the last time trial by Lemond in 1989, even lost by 8 seconds.But that was another world. Not Pogacar's current one, where it seems that all our certainties are being crumbled by this likeable alien who is adding record to record: 14 stages won at the Tour, 34 yellow jerseys, 80 career successes. With the likely prospect of winning his third Tour de France next Sunday in Nice. "This time I didn't even suffer from the heat," Tadej points out with his usual nonchalance.

"I let Jonas work until I saw that he too had reached the limit. I then tried to accelerate and I'd say it went well... "Well? Very, very well. Pogagar, in the final climb of Plateau de Beille, took 39 minutes 42", about four minutes less than Marco Pantani who had started his comeback over Ullrich here in 1998. Another sign, in short, that the Slovenian is well on his way to his goal. But underneath he has a doubt: that Vingegaard is not yet completely beaten. Wounded, certainly, but not tamed. And knowing the Dane, his proverbial ability to react to difficulties, Pogacar himself knows that he cannot yet sleep with the yellow jersey under his pillow. This Monday is the rest day. Tomorrow the merry-go-round resumes. Pogacar is very strong, now master of the Tour... But...