Hard-hitting testimony

“Horrible”: Hamann pillories England in the pillory

Didi Hamann is harsh on England.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/APA/AFP/Fabrice COFFRINI, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Spain's national soccer team beat England 2:1 on Sunday evening to be crowned European champions. And rightly so, according to Didi Hamann, as the "Three Lions" certainly didn't deserve the title.

"The soccer was atrocious," said the expert on "RTE Sport", not mincing his words. "England played seven of the ten worst games of the tournament."

Young, fast players on the bench
What bothered Hamann the most was the squad that team boss Gareth Southgate had sent out onto the pitch game after game. "Why Kane doesn't move, I don't know. They were behind in all their knockout games. When you let Ollie Watkins play, it becomes dangerous. Palmer comes on and scores after five minutes," said the former Bayern and Liverpool professional, who would have liked to see more minutes for professionals like Eze or Gordon. "When this team is in the lead, they don't get pushed back because they have incredibly quick players on the bench."

In the 61st minute, Harry Kane had to make way for Ollie Watkins.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

However, the Three Lions would never have had the chance to show what they are capable of. In fact, Harry Kane didn't exactly play his best tournament. The Briton was substituted after around an hour in the final before joker Cole Palmer scored to make it 1-1. Would the game have developed in a different direction if more young players had been allowed to start? A question to which we will never get an answer - and so England will once again have to settle for the European Championship runners-up spot ...