Spain talisman Rodri has called on his teammates to “control” one key England player in the Euro 2024 final this Sunday. Rodri and his Spanish side defeated France in the semi-final to secure their spot in the final against England, who triumphed over the Netherlands.
The Manchester City midfielder has been instrumental in Spain’s quest for the trophy, but he is particularly wary of the threat posed by Phil Foden, his club teammate at Etihad Stadium.
Foden has had a mixed tournament but delivered a standout performance in the semi-final, hitting the post and skillfully navigating pockets of space. He was substituted late in the game, just before Ollie Watkins scored the decisive winner. Despite Foden’s inconsistencies, Rodri believes he has the ability to cause problems for Spain.
When asked which England player he would prefer not to come up against, Rodri replied: “They have a lot of them. I love Phil Foden because I know him, he’s with me,” per AS.
“He’s a player who has to be kept under control because he has an innate ability to move in a small space. But there are many players who can do a lot of damage.
“I don’t like to focus on one player. I like to take a complete picture of England. And we go with our weapons, one on one.”
Rodri will also come up against John Stones and Kyle Walker and added: “I know them well, I know the culture of English football perfectly. They have a very talented team, players who can unbalance and who can control all aspects of the game.
“They defend well, they can attack you, and they are good at set pieces. We have to work on how to hurt them. We have our weapons, and we are confident that we can beat them.”
England have reached their second successive European Championship final and will aim to end 58 years of hurt for the men’s side on Sunday. Spain last won the competition in 2012.