In a dramatic U21 Europa League final at the crack of dawn on Sunday (9), England U21s narrowly beat Spain U21s 1-0 to win the tournament for the fifth time in 39 years and the fifth time in the last six years that England's youth teams have won a major tournament. England goalkeeper Jim Chalcot was the biggest contributor to the win, as he successfully saved a 12-yard penalty from the opposition in the closing stages of the game. Combined with keeping a clean sheet in six matches in the tournament, his outstanding performance has earned him a promotion to the Premier League, where he has been acquired by Bonny's FC for a fee of 19 million pounds (HK$190 million) and will make his debut in the new season.
The final was a tightly contested affair with England taking the lead just before half-time through a penalty stroke. Galpenma's penalty struck the back of Gudis Jons in the net. During the celebrations, a clash broke out between the two benches, and England assistant coach Ashley Gower and Spain fitness coach Li Villa were both sent off. In the second half, Spain went on the attack, with Ebires scoring in the 51st minute, but it was ruled out for offside.
The match entered extra time with a high point. England midfielder Govier was awarded a 12-yard penalty for an infringement on Ebires in the box. Luckily, James Chalcot made a heroic save, first parrying a penalty from Abires and then rising to block another from Emmanuelos. The two benches clashed again, with two already substituted players, Kibiswetter and Antonio Blanco, each receiving a red card, but that did not stop England U21s from winning the title.
England Youth have been strong in recent years and the team that won the title was the same squad that won the World Junior Championships (U17 World Junior Championships) six years ago. In that time, England Youth have also won the U20 World Cup (2017) and two U19 European Cups (2017, 2022). Hero James Chalcot said after the game, "I've said to my teammates before the game that I'll pounce on a 12-yard penalty, this clean sheet record means a lot and we're confident that no one will be able to break down the England goal."
