In his column, Reinkl elaborates on his thoughts on the upcoming Euro final between England and Spain with a pen full of anticipation. He begins by expressing his deep desire, as England's legendary goalscorer, for the national team to win the World Championship. Although this desire was not realized during his playing days, he now, as a commentator, still firmly believes that the England team will be able to create history in this European Cup.
Reinkele pointed out that although he is about to face a Spanish team with many superstars and new stars, England has the same strength and opportunity to win the championship. He particularly mentioned England's penalty shootout loss in the last European Cup final, believing that this experience has made the team more mature and resilient. He firmly believes that as long as England can maintain this momentum and play their best in the final, they may realize their multi-year dream.
Speaking about the similarities between the two teams, Reinker quoted Cesc Fabregas as saying that this England team has a lot in common with the 2008 Spain team. He pointed out that that Spanish team also went through a period of low point, through continuous efforts and progress, and eventually emerged in the competition and won a number of honors. He believes that the England team under Southgate's command has the same potential and strength, as long as they can seize the opportunity in the final, it is possible to replicate the glory of Spain in 2008.
Reinkl also responded to the recent criticism of the England team and Harry Kane. He acknowledged that the team did have some problems in the early stages of the tournament, but that they have gradually overcome these difficulties and made significant progress over time. He emphasized that as commentators, their duty is to objectively and fairly evaluate the performance of the team and the players, rather than making unwarranted accusations and attacks. He believed that Kane and other players would face their shortcomings honestly and try to do better in their games.
In addition, Reinkele also talked about the changing role of the center forward in modern soccer. He pointed out that as soccer tactics continue to develop and evolve, the center forward is no longer a scoring machine in the traditional sense, but rather the core of the field that needs to take on more tactical tasks and role transitions. He mentioned the performance of some young centers such as Harland and Watkins in the game as leading the development of this trend. He emphasized that the diversity and versatility of the wingers is one of the key features of modern soccer and one of the strengths that England will need to make the most of in future matches.
Finally, Reinkele once again expressed his strong belief in England winning the European Cup. He believes that as long as the team can remain united and focused, and play at their best, they will be able to beat Spain in the final and create their own historical moment.
