Roy Keane slams England over ‘lack of quality’ in Euro 2024 final

In a blistering critique of England’s performance in the Euro 2024 final, former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane held nothing back. Speaking to ITV, Keane emphasized that Spain, who claimed their fourth Euros trophy with an 86th-minute goal from Mikel Oyarzabal, were clearly the superior team.

“The best team won tonight. They were the best team throughout the tournament,” Keane declared. Despite England’s equalizer from Cole Palmer in the 73rd minute, the Three Lions couldn’t keep up with Spain’s flawless campaign in the Euro 2024, which saw them win a record-breaking seven successive matches plus the final.

Read More:

Euro 2024 final: “It’s heartbreaking” — Jude Bellingham

Euro 2024 final: “A lot stacked against us tonight” — Southgate

Keane pointed to England’s consistent struggles throughout the tournament, highlighting their reliance on last-minute heroics from players like Ollie Watkins and Jude Bellingham to scrape through.

“Tonight, [England] lacked quality. They’ve lacked quality throughout the tournament. It was probably fight and desire, options off the bench that got them to this final,” he stated.

Acknowledging the harsh realities of top-level sport, Keane praised Spain’s excellence and urged England to accept the defeat with humility.

“Top level sport is brutal. Sometimes the opposition are just better than you. Spain were excellent. You have to step back and be humble. It’s great to win, but when you’re beaten by the better team, take your medicine and regroup and go again,” he advised.

Roy Keane also addressed the emotional toll on the England squad, noting their frustration despite their efforts in the Euro 2024 final.

“The real frustration for England will be that they’ve given their all. After the game when they got beaten, they’ll think ‘did we give it our best?’ They haven’t given their best the last few games, they got away with it. Eventually, they got found out.”