Few people expected Spain to win the Euros before the tournament. Were you surprised by their performance?
Manuel Fernandes: To be honest, I didn’t expect them to take the cup either, but I did expect them in the later stages of the tournament. The Spaniards believe in their ideas and trust in young players. The team chose this path and they got it right.
Spanish footballer Lamin Yamal. Photo: REUTERS
Can Lamin Yamal become a global star?
Manuel Fernandes: He is very young, very young. Do you remember Ansu Fati, who also stood out at Barcelona when he was young? And now he is not succeeding. At the same time, Yamal seems to me to be a more complete footballer than Fati. Time will tell whether Lamine will become a superstar or not. Barcelona will play a very important role in his destiny. It depends a lot on the club.
This Spain can repeat the path of the Spain that won two European Championships and a World Cup between 2008 and 2012.
Manuel Fernandes: No, the Spain of today is not as strong as the one in which Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas and Torres played. But they have a strong team.
England were criticised throughout the tournament. Did they deserve this?
Manuel Fernandes: England really played some unspectacular football, even though they have some brilliant players in their squad. Many will say that the main thing is the result, but when you think more about attack and less about defence, your chances of success increase.
England players after defeat in the Euro 2024 final. Photo: REUTERS
Did England really play such boring football?
Manuel Fernandes: I wouldn’t say it was that boring, but it depended almost entirely on the individual qualities of the stars. I didn’t see the team play.
What do you think about the level of the euro in general?
Manuel Fernández: Average. There are not many teams that demonstrated brilliant football. In the group stage, Spain, Germany, Austria and Switzerland stood out. In the playoffs, only the Spanish took a liking to him.
For the first time in the history of a major tournament, the top scorer was an own goal with 11 goals. Does this mean anything?
Manuel Fernandez: I don’t think so. But the fact that the top scorer of the European Championship has scored only three goals makes us think. This means that the attackers did not perform very well.
Which teams disappointed the most at the Euros?
Manuel Fernandes: Croatia, Italy, France and Portugal. The Croatians failed to get out of the group, the Italians failed to defend their title, the French were not memorable and Portugal did not play very well or impress.
There is a lot of talk again about whether Portugal needs Ronaldo and whether he interfered with the national team. What do you think?
Manuel Fernandes: I think the national team needs Ronaldo, but in a different role. Time is beyond anyone’s control. What is happening now is damaging the team. Something needs to change.
