"It's coming home" — that famous old saying which echoes behind England's national team every single tournament.
Since the song's introduction in 1996, it's acted as a curse, with the Three Lions faltering at each hurdle, and once again, on a warm summer night in Berlin, the nation slipped up once again. A 2-1 loss to Spain continues 58 years of hurt in the cruellest of circumstances.
When Cole Palmer equalised to make it 1-1 in the 73rd minute, England started to believe of European glory for the first time. However, just as they started to dream, it was snatched away from them, as Mikel Oyarzabal scored the winning goal with four minutes left.
Everyone knew Spain were the favourites going into the match at the Olympiastadion. Throughout the whole tournament, they had been the only team to truly play exciting and expansive football. Their victories against hosts Germany and then France showed their class, yet England will be disappointed with their showing on the biggest stage.
Lamine Yamal, Spain's teenage sensation who turned 17 on Saturday, perfectly set up Williams to slot into the far right corner two minutes into the second half. After an even first-half display, the Three Lions slipped up first.
It was a well-worked goal, but too easy from an English perspective. In periods of the match, Spain switched up, went direct and stretched the pitch. England, who were more than capable of playing in a low block, weren't prepared — and it led to Spain's opening goal.
When the full-time whistle did eventually blow and Spain started their celebrations on the pitch, which will likely continue until sunlight, the Three Lions now hold the unwanted title of becoming the first nation to lose back-to-back Euros finals.
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The Gareth Southgate Conundrum
Southgate has always divided opinion among the English faithful. Pragmatic, defensive, yet effective over the years. England rode their luck on their run to the final, with a last-minute overhead kick from Jude Bellingham and a shootout win against Switzerland seeing them continue to progress.
But teams build their own luck — and it felt warranted considering Southgate had received his fair share of agony at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.
England have had a 'never say die' attitude all tournament. It's why you could not write them off going into the final — and despite defeat, they showed it again at the Olympiastadion. Southgate threw caution to the wind with his substitutions and, for a brief moment, it paid off.
Bukayo Saka teased a dangerous ball to the edge of the box, Bellingham laid it back for Palmer, and the Chelsea star fired a perfect shot into the bottom left corner.
Bedlam ensued in the England end as fans were suddenly drenched in beer. 'Limbs' it's often called in the modern day — and, in a sport which is all about moments, it will forever be remembered in the country's history.
Yet the following 15 minutes that saw them sit back and allow Spain to assert their dominance again epitomised an issue deep within the team. It happened in 2021 against Italy and Croatia in 2018; it happened again tonight.
Some will blame Southgate. Some will say it's the players. As is always the case in football, there's not one correct answer, but it was probably a mixture of both. Harry Kane was a passenger in the final third, Bellingham did not lay down the talent everyone knows he has and Kyle Walker was involved in the defensive mishap for both goals. Disappointment for the thousands upon thousands of England fans that travelled.
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An attack which did not click again
Harry Kane has forever been at the heart of an English debate. At Euro 2020, people were questioning whether he should have been dropped. He would go large spells of the game without any impact — and it's been the same story this tournament.
Coupled with a reputation of failing to turn up on major occasions, Kane was part of an attack which just did not fluently click in Berlin.
No one could doubt his effort, as a reckless challenge in the first half saw him pick up a yellow card, but it was clear the former Tottenham Hotspur star was not fully fit, as has been the case all tournament.
He looked sluggish, out of shape and not at his world-class best. He squandered a chance, albeit a difficult one, at the end of the first half, as his shot was blocked from the edge of the box.
When Ollie Watkins replaced him on Wednesday and scored the winner, there was bound to be potential for it to happen again — and it did. With 60 minutes on the clock, the Aston Villa star replaced Kane.
"Ollie Watkins du, du, du, du," the travelling English faithful sang, praying lightning would strike twice. Of course, it didn't, but it was only until Watkins and Palmer were brought onto the pitch that the Three Lions truly looked threatening.
It was arguably England's ultimate downfall in this tournament. It's challenging, maybe even impossible, to win one of the hardest competitions in the world when several attacking stars are not clicking. When England look towards the future, that should be their priority.
