England manager Gareth Southgate attended a press conference

England is set to face Spain in the upcoming European Championship final. On the eve of the match, England manager Gareth Southgate attended a press conference.



Every Player is Fully Fit
"Everyone is healthy, which is great, although it's unusual for a cup final. We are very excited about the challenge, and obviously, the team has made progress over the past few weeks, showing extraordinary character and resilience. It's an honor to work with them every day on the training ground. The players have been fully committed to every training session, which creates a great working environment. Now, we have an excellent opportunity tomorrow to achieve our goal. We've been ready since we left Qatar.

The Challenges the Team Faces
As the tournament progresses, we must find different ways to play. Initially, our defense had many issues, with many players missing several matches. Towards the end of the season, Stones barely played for Manchester City, but his performance was outstanding. Guehi, Trippier, and Luke Shaw were out for months due to injuries, so we spent the whole summer trying to find the right combinations and balance.

Finding the Right Offensive Balance
We have to work hard to find the best balance for our attacking players because we have super talents, but many players like to operate in similar areas. We think we have started to find that balance as the tournament has progressed. I really like our performances; we look threatening, and we can score goals. I'm pleased with how well the team has performed in this tournament.

Not Needing to Say Much to the Players Before the Match
We haven't had much time on the training ground, but we've had a few meetings to assess our opponents and find the best ways to deal with them. Our message hasn't really changed over the past five to six weeks. We have a vision, and we always break it down into smaller parts. Now, we have good experience in major tournaments, and in these moments, you don't need to say much to the players—they don't need motivation for a match like this. The key is to ensure all the small details are correct. Small margins decide these matches, and we must make sure we are on the right side. We've been repeating our mindset and approach to games and decision-making in matches. It's really important because it's not just about playing a football match. On nights like this, you have to make sure everything you do is correct.

Showing the Players Celebrations at Trafalgar Square
The initial celebrations really reflect our vision. When you're striving to create a dream, you must clearly know what you want to see. Then we break down that vision and say, 'These are the details that need to be done well over the next two years,' and the improvements we need to make as a team. For some, it ignites a small flame, and for others, it’s different. So, you have to influence the whole team in different ways. But we know what it means to everyone at home, and we know what it means for us as a team and the hard work we've put in. It’s not just for the players here, but also for those who have fought alongside us for the past six or seven years, and all the staff involved. It’s a massive team effort. All these people have helped create the culture we have now, and we hope to give everyone another special night tomorrow.

We Must Secure Victory Tomorrow
I don't believe in fairy tales, but I believe in dreams. We've had big dreams and felt the importance of them, but you have to make these things really happen. Destiny, our performance, last-minute goals, penalties—they don't mean it's our moment. We must achieve this tomorrow and reach the level we need to. It will be a great story, but most importantly, it's in our hands and our performance.

Spain's Consistent Performance
My view of this team is that their way of playing is very clear. They are a very consistent team with high pressing intensity. Like all Spanish teams, they have a lot of possession, so you must be very organized. But in the last few games, we've controlled possession well. We've shown our true selves and the way we want to play. We played very well against the Netherlands, and we hope to do the same tomorrow night.

Many People Contributed to the Improvement in Penalty Shootouts
Many people have been involved in this, and I believe it's a skill that can be improved through practice and executing under pressure. We want to control these processes and feel like we can handle them. We now have more players who regularly take penalties for their clubs, which helps us. But even so, we've now won three out of the last four penalty shootouts, which is a significant change from our previous situation. Many people can take great satisfaction from this work, and we must be prepared in case we need it again tomorrow.

Recalling the 1996 Home European Championship Quarter-Final Against Spain
I performed well then; the score was 0-0, which is every defender's dream. We obviously won through a penalty shootout. Miguel Nadal is the player I remember from that match, maybe Kiko Narvaez played well, and maybe Luis Enrique on the bench (Editor’s note: Enrique didn’t actually play in that match). It was a very tough match, and Spain probably should have won, but it was very important for England. At that time, Spain hadn’t achieved the success they later did. We’ve faced Spain many times in youth finals, so we know their young players have always been excellent. We've closely followed their development and have seen many players now playing in senior tournaments. But our youth teams have also been improving, and we're starting to see these players enter the senior team. Both countries have had smooth development paths.

Being Honest About Our Status as a Football Nation
Sometimes, as a team, you have to go through tough nights. We've tried to change the mindset... we've tried to be honest about our status as a football nation. I've attended World Cups and European Championships as an observer, watching highlights on the big screen before the matches, but we've never been part of those highlights ourselves. We needed to change that. We've had high expectations, but they didn't match our actual performance level. Now, those high expectations still exist, but we've been performing steadily. Ultimately, you have to be in the latter stages of tournaments consistently to learn how to win important matches. We're learning that, and now we've had many important nights and broken many records. But in the end, we must win this trophy to truly earn the respect of the football world, at least that’s what I think.

Having Experienced Everything, There's No Fear About the Final
For me, those tough nights made me realize that football can change in an instant, and the gap between winning and losing is so small. It’s given me a broader perspective on life because, ultimately, there are more important things than football. But football has given me a wonderful life and amazing experiences. I've traveled the world, and for nearly 35 years of my life, I've been doing what I love, and I can't ask for more. Representing my country as a player and then leading the team for eight years as a coach is my greatest honor. Tomorrow, I won't fear what might happen because I've experienced everything. I want the players to feel this fearless spirit and be their best selves because, no matter what happens, we are such a strong group, and we will support each other. As I've said in matches before, if we’re not afraid to lose, we have a better chance of winning, and that's very important to us. Now I want to thank everyone here, thank Germany for hosting this event—it's been an incredible tournament. We've been warmly welcomed, especially at our base, where everyone has been great to us. Personally, I’m very excited about tomorrow’s match, playing in such a magnificent stadium... we're now looking forward to this final step."