Spanish captain Irene Paredes launched a stinging attack on England following their Euro 2025 final defeat, insisting her side were more worthy winners than the "fortunate" Lionesses.
The defender told Spanish broadcaster RTVE that her team "deserved it more" after Sunday night's heartbreaking penalty shootout loss in Basel.
"It is about having that bit of luck and England had that throughout the whole tournament," Paredes said.
"We thought we could overcome that but we weren't able to."
Spanish captain Irene Paredes insisted England did not deserve to win the final
|ASTV
The Spain skipper highlighted how England had relied on good fortune across multiple matches, having won their quarter-final against Sweden on penalties before mounting a late comeback against Italy in the semi-finals.
"I think we had more control of the game than they did, we created more clear chances, we had more possession," she added.
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Spain's statistical superiority throughout the match reinforced their sense of injustice.
The World Cup holders controlled nearly two-thirds of possession at 64.9 per cent and unleashed 22 attempts on goal compared to England's eight.
Manager Montse Tome echoed her captain's frustration, stating: "We were the better team, but that's football; the best team doesn't always win.
"This team deserved more; we've been working for this for a long time. I think the team did what it took to get more," she said.
Tome acknowledged that whilst England had shown resilience, Spain had created the clearer opportunities and dominated for large periods, particularly during extra time when they regained control.
The penalty shootout proved catastrophic for Spain, who managed just one successful conversion in their 3-1 defeat.
Patri Guijarro scored their opening spot-kick, but the subsequent attempts turned into a nightmare.
Mariona Caldentey and Aitana Bonmati both saw their efforts saved by England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, whilst Salma Paralluelo sent her penalty wide of the target.
England triumphed over Spain despite being dominated throughout
|Reuters
Bonmati, Spain's star midfielder, was particularly devastated by her miss.
"I apologise for my mistake, I couldn't score. It's cruel because it was our objective and everything is decided on penalties," she said afterwards.
"I'm in shock, I don't have many emotions. I've emptied myself," she admitted, whilst maintaining that Spain had "played the best football in the tournament."
In stark contrast to Spain's anguish, England's players revelled in their historic achievement of consecutive European Championships.
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Hannah Hampton made two saves in the penalty shootout as England beat Spain to win Euro 2025 | GETTYChloe Kelly, who netted the decisive penalty, quipped: "The first time was so nice, we had to do it twice."
England captain Leah Williamson praised her teammates' defensive resilience. "The girls put in a defensive performance for the ages. I don't have the words," she said.
Manager Sarina Wiegman, who secured her third European title, struggled to comprehend the achievement.
"I can't believe it! We said we can win by any means and that's what we have shown again today," she exclaimed.
The Dutch coach acknowledged the challenging nature of their campaign. "From the first game it was chaos. Losing your first game and becoming European Champions is incredible."