For all the talk of an England victory being written in the stars at Euro 2024, the Three Lions oldest failing returned to haunt them in Sunday s final.
If you cannot control matches at the elite level, you lose control of your destiny.
That was exactly what happened at the Olympiastadion as Spain – the tournament s outstanding side – won a record-breaking fourth European crown, and deservedly so.
It briefly looked like England might cap the most remarkable of knockout runs with another rescue act when Cole Palmer came off the bench to cancel out Nico Williams opener.
But at 1-1, England ceded control and territory, and as was the case against Croatia at the 2018 World Cup and Italy in the Euro 2020 final, it cost them.
Mikel Oyarzabal matched…