Euro 2024 final: Dani Olmo scotches Jude Bellingham tiredness talk in England v Spain clash - ‘We have to be careful'
Published 14/07/2024 at 15:40 GMT+1
Spain midfielder Dani Olmo has said his team "have to be careful" of England's Jude Bellingham after talk that the Real Madrid star is "physically exhausted" after a long season. Spain will meet England in Berlin to battle for their fourth European title, while Gareth Southgate is bidding to become the first England men's manager to claim European Championship success.
Olmo warns Spain to be 'careful' of Bellingham ahead of Euro 2024 final
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Dani Olmo says Spain “have to be careful” of Jude Bellingham in the European Championship final after scoffing at suggestions the England star is tired.
Olmo and Spain meet Gareth Southgate’s side in Berlin on Sunday as The Three Lions look to claim Euro glory for the first time, while Spain seek their fourth title.
Bellingham has struck twice for England in Germany, the only goal in an opening victory against Serbia and a vital last-gasp acrobatic equaliser against Slovakia to keep England in the tournament.
However, the Real Madrid sensation has been not always looked at his best as England struggled to find their groove in the earlier stages of the competition.
Asked whether the 21-year-old is showing tiredness towards the end of the tournament, Olmo dismissed the notion and warned Spain must be wary of the midfielder’s qualities.
"Physically exhausted? Well, it’s a final game. I don’t think he isn’t going to play because he is physically tired,” Olmo told reporters on Friday.
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The RB Leipzig man continued: “Jude is an important player in [the] England national team. He’s shown that during the tournament.
"We will have to be careful of him, the same way we will have to be with other players of his team."
Olmo is level on three goals with Bellingham’s England team-mate Harry Kane, with the pair currently leading the tournament’s goalscoring charts, alongside Cody Gakpo, Jamal Musiala, Ivan Schranz Georges Mikautadze.
"I’ve felt well during this tournament,” Olmo said. “I feel I am going through a great moment, and I must try to keep it that way.
"It’s true that we [he and Kane] are both tied. But there are other players who have helped us get there."
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He added: "In the end, it hasn’t been an easy journey. If you want to win a competition such as this Euro, you must defeat the best teams. We had to make it the hard way.
“Defeating Germany at home, France in [the] semi-final, and now England. But there are no excuses. We are so close. I think the style of play we are putting on display is exemplary.
“We will keep it this way. With the same idea and the same motivation. And we will go for it."
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England attack 'able to inflict a lot of damage' - Vivian
With Kane battling it out with Olmo for the Golden Boot, Spain defender Dani Vivian labelled the Bayern Munich striker “one of the best forwards, if not the best”.
“I think England has attackers that can make a difference in our area,” Vivian said as he analysed their opponents' front line.
“They are able to inflict a lot of damage, even without playing in a very fluid way. But they have that quality that makes them able to produce those sparks. We will have to be very wary of them.”
Spain have won all their games - including against Germany in extra time - at the Euros and have scored 13 goals, conceding just three. In contrast, England have won three of their six matches, with seven goals for and four against.
Despite Spain’s brilliant record, Vivian said he and his team-mates “don’t feel like the winners of the Euros” just yet.
“We feel like winners every day, but we don’t feel like the winners of the Euros,” he said.
“I think we must take it step-by-step. We must prepare for our next game the way we’ve been doing every day, preparing for each game as though it's a final, because all of them were.
“It’s been a tough journey, and we visualise ourselves working and doing what we’ve been doing until now to achieve what we all want to achieve."
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