Spain, which succumbed to am extra-time winner from Brazil in the gold medal match in the last edition of the Olympic Games, stands at a similar crossroad this time around.
Having beaten Morocco 2-1 in the semifinal, Spain would look to cap an outstanding summer, where the senior and under-19 teams claimed the European championship titles, less than a year after also winning the UEFA Nations League.
“We are delighted that we are a benchmark in Europe and the world, it is a job that has been done for years,” coach Santi Denia told a news conference on Thursday.
“We have improved and continued to work, believing in a model of play and a profile of players that represent us. If we have been waiting for the gold medal for so many years, it is a challenge and an additional excitement.”
WHEN DID SPAIN LAST WIN GOLD IN MEN’S FOOTBALL IN OLYMPICS?
Spain has won the gold medal in men’s football just once, at the 1992 Olympic Games. It beat Poland in the final, with Abelardo opening the scoring for La Roja and a brace by Atletico Madrid legend Kiko.
Poland, the 1972 gold medallist, took the lead initially, with Wojciech Kowalczyk giving Poles the breakthrough in the first-half stoppage time. Spain began its comeback through Abelardo, who made it all square in the 65th minute and Kiko netted the leading goal within six minutes.
There was more drama pending as Ryszard Staniek pulled one back for Poland in the 76th minute to end the 12-minute rollercoaster end on level terms in regulation time.
But Kiko stole the show in the first minute of second-half injury time, scoring the winner to secure a historic gold medal for Spain, the only one for the country (in Olympics men’s football) so far.
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