Ollie Watkins’ last-minute winner for England against The Netherlands in last night’s Euro 2024 semi-final has set up the prospect of a thrilling final in Berlin at 8 pm on Sunday, which is sure to be followed closely by Lanzarote locals, tourists and much of the island’s largest immigrant community.
It will also be the first time that scores of resident mixed Spanish/English families on Lanzarote will see their loyalties split. Sunday’s match will be the first time that Spain have met England in a major tournament since 1996, when England eliminated Spain from the last 16 on penalties.
Bars and pubs in the resorts are sure to be rammed to the rafters for the match, and the huge screen on Playa Reducto in Arrecife is likely to attract thousands of supporters.
Here at the Gazette, we wish Spain well. They were stabbing bulls for fun until Britain gave them football and have become quite good at the beautiful game since, winning as many World Cups as England.
They have learned from great names such Gary Lineker, Terry Venables, Bobby Robson and David Beckham, who moved to Spain to show them how it’s done properly. Several Spanish players, such as Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas and Rodri, have also moved to England to learn how to play football better.
However, we’d warn them against getting over-excited because on Sunday, futbol vuelve a casa.
