Morata on Spain's Euro 2020 semi-final exit: We deserved much more

Forward Alvaro Morata said Spain "deserve much more" after their Euro 2020 semi-final penalty shoot-out defeat by Italy at Wembley yesterday morning (Singapore time).

La Furia Roja were the better side for long spells but went behind after Federico Chiesa's lovely curled effort gave the Azzurri a 60th-minute lead against the run of play.

Italy played with more confidence after the goal, but Spain got an equaliser the entertaining match deserved through the much-maligned Morata 10 minutes from time.

The substitute latched on to a through-ball from the excellent Dani Olmo and calmly spotted past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

There were no further goals in extra-time, and Italy prevailed 4-2 on penalties after both Olmo and Morata missed from spot to ensure that no team in European Championship history has won more than one shoot-out. Manuel Locatelli was the only Italian who missed from the spot.

Morata said on Instagram: "This group deserved more, much more. Like the whole of Spain, it was also my dream, our dream.

"I am proud to have been part of this team. To those who have believed in us, thank you. Football can be very hard."

 

Former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann seemed to agree, saying on the BBC: "You have to feel bad for Spain, they played a great match. They were probably the better side over 120 minutes, even if it finished 1-1."

But Spain coach Luis Enrique refused to be disheartened by his side's exit.

He said: "It is not a sad night for me, not at all.

"Of course, there is some disappointment but that is elite football. You have to learn to win and lose.

"We talked a lot about how we wanted to play, the players believed in it and I can only congratulate them, I have no complaints.

"We have shown that we are a team. Now it is important to recover and then we will meet again ahead of the World Cup qualification."

TWO MISTAKES

Ex-England striker Ian Wright, however, said Enrique made two mistakes, not starting Morata and making him take a penalty.

He said on ITV: "(Spain) are fantastic to watch. You look at some of the players like Pedri, Olmo playing great stuff but when you look in the box... there's nobody to play it into to put pressure on (Giorgio) Chiellini or (Leonardo) Bonucci. They were safe all day.

"But straight away, he (Morata) started to cause them problems, he started to run at Chiellini. He was a focal point. I think that was a big miss by them not starting him."

On the shoot-out, he added: "When he walked up to it, he was looking down. When you do that run up, I thought he was too straight on it, so when you open your body up there's only one place he can go.

"Look at the size of that 'keeper. You have to literally send him the wrong way to beat him unless you get it right in the side netting and that's nowhere near it.

"You can see when he walked up to it, I said, 'I do not fancy him'.

"I would not have had him taking one. I don't think he's in the frame of mind to go and take a penalty of that importance. At this stage, he should not have been taking it."

With La Furia Roja having had 65 per cent of possession and 16 shots to Italy's seven, Spain's most-capped player Sergio Ramos, who missed the tournament, tweeted: "Sad and unfair. It was not to be, but you have made a whole country shake with excitement. Proud of our team."

His World Cup- and Euros-winning defensive partner Gerard Pique added: "I don't think there is a better team in the competition, but penalty shoot-outs are sometimes very cruel."

He also bemoaned the fact that a coin toss determines who takes the first penalty, considering the team who take the first spot-kick are statistically more likely to win.

He tweeted: "It is no coincidence that in four games at Euro 2020 and Copa America, the teams that started the shoot-outs won.

"The statistics say that who starts has more options and in a tournament like this, it does not seem fair to me that a coin toss makes you start with a disadvantage."

Italy will play either England or Denmark in the final next Monday morning.