Spain’s media believe their national side ‘have a score to settle’ with Cole Palmer in their Euro 2024 final against England on Sunday.
Gareth Southgate‘s side sealed a last-gasp 2-1 win against the Netherlands on Wednesday evening to reach the final of the European Championship for the second successive tournament.
Spain, meanwhile, also came from a goal down to run out 2-1 winners in their semi final against France on Tuesday night.
Sunday’s Euro 2024 final between England and Spain mirrors the final of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship last summer.
Palmer’s free kick, which took a huge deflection off Curtis Jones on the stroke of half time, was enough to secure England’s 1-0 win over Spain and their first trophy in the European Under-21 Championship since 1984.
However, Chelsea’s talisman sparked a huge brawl between the players after he celebrated England’s goal right in front of Spain’s dugout.
Spain were furious with Palmer’s celebration as he glared towards the substitutes and coaching staff, and Spain’s players all rushed over to vent their anger towards the England midfielder.
England coach Ashley Cole and Spain’s fitness coach Carlos Rivera were both sent off during the heated touchline bust-up between the two sets of players and coaching staff.
Alex Baena is the only Spain player from that Under-21 squad at Euro 2024 but Spanish radio station Cadena COPE has not forgotten Palmer’s part in the brawl last year ahead of Sunday’s final and claim the Luis de la Fuente’s side have a ‘score to settle’ this Sunday.
Palmer’s celebration even upset his own Manchester City teammate Sergio Gomez, who was playing for Spain in that final.
‘I don’t know if we’ll talk or if he’ll say something to me. If he wants to apologise, let him, but the truth is that it wasn’t a good attitude,’ Gomez said after Spain’s defeat.
‘He wanted to celebrate it like that and that’s it. Everyone celebrates it the way they want and we know how the English are.
‘In the end they are the ones who make these provocations. He did it like that and there was a bit of a fuss.’
Asked about his celebration, Palmer said: ‘I was a bit frustrated with the way they were going down and screaming [earlier in the match]. The celebration was maybe a bit over the top but [I’m] just happy.’
Palmer is yet to start a game for England at Euro 2024 but has impressed in his four substitute appearances for Southgate’s side.
‘In the first few games we didn’t play the best that we could and everyone knew that,’ Palmer said at England’s training base on Thursday.
‘But now I think as the tournament’s gone on, especially yesterday, I think we had our best game in the tournament, and that’s what you want going into the later stages.
‘It’s huge. We played them last year in the Under-21s final, England versus Spain. Even that was a massive game, so I can’t imagine this one!’
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