PARIS:
Spain ended a 28-year wait for Olympic gold in men’s football with a thrilling 5-3 extra-time victory over France at Parc des Princes on Saturday.
Substitute Sergio Camello was the hero, scoring twice in extra time to secure Spain’s first Olympic title since 1992. The match was tightly contested, with both teams locked at 3-3 after regular time.
France fought back from a 3-1 deficit, with Maghnes Akliouche reducing the gap in the 79th minute and Jean-Philippe Mateta equalising with a penalty in stoppage time. Earlier, Spain had responded strongly to an early goal from France’s Enzo Millot, scoring three times in 10 minutes, thanks to a Fermin Lopez double and a superb free-kick by Alex Baena.
In extra time, France pushed for a winner, but Camello’s two goals ensured Spain’s victory. This triumph ended what many considered a “golden curse” for Spain, who had fallen short in several Olympic finals over the years, including losing in penalty shootouts in Sydney 2000 and Tokyo 2020.
Spain’s coach Santi Denia praised his team’s spirit and resilience in what was a closely fought match. “Such a long-suffering match deserved tears of joy. They have worked for 40 days as a family,” Spain coach Santi Denia told Spanish broadcaster TVE.
“It was very evenly matched. France push you back, they play very well. It’s down to small details that we won the match. We also did it with a lot of spirit.”
The victory also marked the first time in 28 years that Spain had won a gold medal in a team sport at the Olympics. The last such victory was by the men’s water polo team in Atlanta 1996, led by Manel Estiarte.
Camello’s performance is now enshrined in Spanish Olympic history, alongside other iconic moments like Kiko’s goal in the 1992 Barcelona Games.
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