The China Mail - Spain deserved better in Euro 2025 final, says coach

"I think this team deserved more. We worked so hard for a long time to get here, to the final against a top-level side in England, and I thought the team deserved more, or at least to not be left with the feeling we have now," Tome told reporters after the match at St Jakob-Park in Basel.

The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Alessia Russo heading England level just before the hour mark following Mariona Caldentey's 25th-minute opener for Spain.

With no further scoring in extra time, it went to a shoot-out in which three Spain players including Aitana Bonmati all failed to score before Chloe Kelly netted the winning kick for England.

"This is sport and in sport you need to accept defeat, which is what happened to us in the penalty shoot-out," added Tome, who took over from Jorge Vilda as coach shortly after Spain beat England in the final of the 2023 World Cup.

"I thought we played well in the first half, then in the second half their equaliser maybe left us a bit downbeat.

"After that we dominated possession in extra time but couldn't get the win."

Spain, appearing in their first ever European Championship final, enjoyed 60 percent of the possession overall and had 24 attempts on goal to England's 10. But they paid the price for not putting the game to bed.

"I thought we were the better team but in football it is not always the best team which wins," Tome added.

"England are a great side and have been so competitive throughout the tournament.

"They got the equaliser and then defended to try to get to penalties, and in the shoot-out we chose the penalty-takers who we thought would be most effective."

Patri Guijarro scored Spain's first penalty but then Caldentey and Bonmati both had their attempts saved by England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, and Salma Paralluelo put her effort wide before Kelly won it.

"They all said they were confident and I had confidence in them. In the end anyone can score or miss a penalty but the players gave everything," the coach said.

Q.Yam--ThChM