England fans in Coventry ‘devastated’ at Euro final defeat but admit ‘best team won’

The day after England lost the European Championship final to Spain, England flags were still flying from pubs and shops across the city – a reminder of the anticipation and excitement of seeing England’s footballers reach the final of a major tournament.

The match had its share of tough moments as England surged late in the first half to draw 1-1 with Spain. However, by the second half, it was clear that England were not going to walk away with silverware.

In Coventry, the big event of the day was the students graduating from Coventry University. As students celebrated their graduation, football was firmly on their minds. While people were disappointed, the unanimous conclusion was that Spain had the better team on the pitch.

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Dr Chris Smith was waiting in his academic robes outside the Cathedral and was reflecting heavily on England’s loss in the final.

“You look at the quality of players in the squad and you’d think we could have done better in this tournament, but we didn’t,” he said.

“I think the line-up was a bit weak in the first half and we could have changed things a bit, although Gareth did that in about the 60th minute. But in the end, the best team won.”

Likewise, near the Cathedral, Ghulam and Richard were walking past the students gathered near the old cathedral. Although Richard did not watch the match, Ghulam reflected similarly on England being outplayed by a better side.

“I think reality is the best team won – what more can you say.

“They weren’t the best in the tournament to be honest, so to have reached the final is an achievement in itself. I just can’t control games.”

Ghulam said that while it was a shame they lost, he was pleased to see England go further in the tournaments than they had in years past.

“If you look back over the last 20 to 30 years, the national team has not been that great in the tournament. They were much better in terms of how far they go.

“The cynical part of me says they got the easier part of the draw a few times, but you can only play what’s in front of you.”

Gareth Southgate’s recent comments at the end of the final indicated that he would not continue as England manager and that a new leader would take the helm. Some hoped Southgate and the squad would be treated kindly when they returned from Germany.

“Spain have been really good and I just hope people aren’t too mean to the English team,” said long-time Coventry resident Barbara. “I think they did really well and when you play at that level it’s no joke.”

She said that despite the result, seeing England in a final was something special to watch.

“I think people would have been even more upset if we had come out earlier.”

As Neil Keats walked past The Flying Standard pub, he said the result was “avoidable” but praised the progress the team had made over the past three years.

“They have to praise Gareth Southgate for getting us to two finals in the last three years. But the next step is figuring out what we need to do to get over the line and win.”

As Coventry retire from a European Championship that exceeded expectations, soccer fans will wait until 2026 to see how the Three Lions fare in North America at what will be the biggest FIFA World Cup in history in as far as the participating nations are concerned.

While the Southgate era took England to a semi-final and quarter-final against defending world champions Qatar, France, it remains to be seen how the new management can push the team to new heights.

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