THOUSANDS of Spain fans have shown their admiration for Manchester City star Rodri at their Euro 2024 victory parade.
Luis de la Fuente’s side beat England 2-1 in the final to bag their fourth European Championship.
— MARCA (@marca) July 15, 2024
¡Ojo al ambientazo en Cibeles para recibir a los #C4MPEONES de la #EURO2024!
@ernestoasc_ pic.twitter.com/piTQDDiqKm
Rodri played a crucial role in Spain‘s success, starting in all but one game as his side beat the likes of Germany and France on their way to Euros glory.
The midfielder has had an amazing few years which includes winning multiple Premier League titles and the Champions League with City.
Spain fans showed their appreciation for Rodri as they cheered on their heroes at a victory parade in Madrid.
Supporters jumped up and down singing: “Rodri’s on fire, your defence is terrified.”
Rodri, 28, has enjoyed a brilliant 18 months which saw him break the record for longest unbeaten streak in club football.
He went 74 matches without tasting defeat with City – until the FA Cup final against Manchester United in May.
Rodri is now second favourite to win the Ballon d’Or this year, behind Vincius Junior.
His odds of winning the award were 6/1 before the Euros but he is now offered at 9/4 after he was awarded the Player of the Tournament in Germany.
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Harry Redknapp named Rodri in his team of the tournament, saying: “The Player of the Tournament, Rodri, world class.
“We all know how good this lad is, he’s becoming an all-time great in that position. He just reads the game so well and does a little bit of everything.
“I’ll be honest, when I saw him come off in the final, I thought England might be in luck! Spain deserved the win though and this lad deserved to be Player of the Tournament.”
IT now seems as though he really is cursed. Along with the rest of us, writes Charlie Wyett.
Tragically, unbelievably, Harry Kane’s agonising search for a trophy still continues and you know have to wonder whether he will ever actually manage it.
Certainly for England, in any case.
Kane has now suffered defeat in three major club finals and two finals of the European Championships.
Last night, the Three Lions captain was so ineffective that he was replaced by Ollie Watkins just after the hour.
Like much of this tournament, he really struggled to make the impact when England needed him, not that he had much service.
He had one shot in the first half and that was Rodri, who subsequently injured himself and went off at the break.
When Cole Palmer struck that brilliant equaliser, Kane was off on his feet from the bench, only for the national team to get another kick in the bo**ocks at the end.
Kane was substituted in both the games against Switzerland and Holland which England went on to win but on this occasion, he could only witness a gut-wrenching twist just when it looked as though Gareth Southgate’s team had dug their way out of trouble.
The Bayern Munich striker suffered the World Cup 2018 semi-final loss against Croatia, endured heartbreak against Italy in the Euro2020 final and then missed from the spot in the World Cup 2022 quarter-final against France.
He really thought that this was his time, even though England did not play well in Germany.
Kane will know that he will have more opportunities with England. But not many more.
The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico seems a long way away and it will surely be under a new manager. Will England be better than they are now? Probably not.
And we are all left to wonder how much better England would have been with a fit and firing Kane at his very best.
Read the full verdict on the curse of Harry Kane…
Or check out all of Charlie Wyett’s Euro 2024 stories…
