121: Miguel Angel Nadal, Spain, Panini England European Football Championship ’96

This season’s Europa League Final offered, on paper at least, everything football fans could want from the climax of a cup competition. The plucky underdogs Villarreal took the lead only to be pegged back by a resurgent Manchester United. A tired Marcus Rashford missed a golden opportunity to seize the trophy for the Red Devils and after 120 minutes of ebb and flow football the game was settled by a high scoring penalty shootout decided by a goalkeeper saving his counterpart’s effort. In reality the game was a fairly drab encounter played out by two sides who had endured an inordinate amount of football over the past season further soured by the very worst of society taking to social media to racially abuse Rashford and his team-mates. If you wanted a metaphor for 2021 there you have it.

The penalty shootout itself was oddly compelling down to the impressive quality of the spot kicks. United keeper David De Gea’s effort, the twenty-second of the contest, was the only one not to find the back of the net simultaneously handing Villarreal their first major trophy and adding the Spaniard to an illustrious list of excellent footballers who have failed to convert from 12 yards in a showpiece knockout game. In De Gea’s defence the likes of Chris Waddle and Roberto Baggio are hardly the worst footballing company to join and we can always extend it to include some of his compatriots in the forms of Joaquin, Iago Aspas and Miguel Angel Nadal.

Ahead of Euro 96 the man known as ‘The Beast’ had established himself in the holding role in the Spanish midfield with the kind of no nonsense tackling and determination that drew comparisons to the likes of Roy Keane. His ability to also play at the back offered the kind of versatility sought after in major tournaments and, as well as being part of when football came home, he appeared at three consecutive World Cups between 1994 and 2002. On the domestic front Nadal was also an integral part of the Barcelona side which won the European Cup in 1992 alongside five La Liga titles during his time in Catalonia before returning to his boyhood club Mallorca and helping them to Copa del Rey glory in 2003. Still, he was no Darren Caskey was he?

In the years before Spain tiki-takad their way to World and European glory La Roja were often the sophisticated armchair fans’ outside shout for the major international tournaments of the 1990s and early 2000s. It’s hardly a surprise considering the success of Barcelona and Real Madrid in continental cup competitions at the time but all too often the Spanish national side failed to deliver on the grand stage. A late Roberto Baggio strike had seen them exit the 1994 World Cup in the quarter-finals and they had failed to qualify for the 1992 European Championships in Sweden. However, they had topped their qualification group ahead of reigning champions Denmark without tasting defeat and continued their impressive form at the finals negotiating their way out of a tricky group alongside France, Bulgaria and Romania. Laying in wait were host nation England riding a wave of optimism following impressive victories over Scotland and the Netherlands.

Such was the optimism that my First Holy Communion was shifted forward by a few hours to ensure that no one found a convenient excuse to postpone such an important rite of passage for their Catholic offspring and the streets of Sydenham fell silent at 3pm ahead of the tournament’s first knockout game. A cagey affair unfolded as Nadal and his defensive colleagues nullified the threat of Shearer, Sheringham and Gascoigne and Spain saw two efforts ruled out for tight offsides. With the game still goalless after extra time the dreaded penalty shootout loomed with England’s squad including three men who had endured their 1990 World Cup semi-final loss to West Germany. Nerves were somewhat settled when Fernando Hierro rattled the crossbar and Shearer, David Platt and Stuart Pearce in particular exorcised the demons of Italia 90. Gazza’s success from twelve yards left Miguel Nadal the unenviable task of keeping Spain in the tie. David Seaman had already displayed his spot kick saving credentials in the group stages (albeit with the help of Uri Geller) and once again he proved to be England’s hero as he repelled Nadal’s effort.

England went on to face Germany in the semi-finals which proved to be a penalty shootout too far as Andreas Köpke ensured that Gareth Southgate would feature in a Pizza Hut advert and every single pre-tournament montage until the Three Lions win something. Meanwhile in Spain both Hierro and Nadal faced none of the criticism or emotional black and white replays of them looking distraught as the team dusted themselves down and went again ahead of the 1998 World Cup. This far more pragmatic approach was best summed up by Nadal’s team-mate Abelardo who reflected some years later that “you only miss because you’ve got the balls to stand up and take a penalty”. The Beast’s impressive career record suggests that it didn’t exactly stand in his way and David De Gea could probably do worse than taking some pointers next time he’s called upon from twelve yards. Then again after all this time in England he might be more inclined to get all reflective to the strains of a John Lewis advert reimagining of an Oasis classic or pile into a Pepperoni Passion.