The international press sums up the elimination of Spain at the hands of Morocco (0-0, 0-3 on penalties) in three very clear ideas: the red was innocuous and innocent in its traditional game of possession, the iron Atlas lions and more stinging on the counter, they deserved a pass to the quarterfinals that is historic and, finally, that Luis Enrique's men must work on penalties, after losing for the third major championship in a row from eleven meters.
"Homework: practice 1,000 penalties," the BBC graphically underlines, with an image of Luis Enrique acting as a teacher in a classroom with Dani Olmo and Morata as students. The British public channel thus remembers the words of the Asturian coach in the previous one, in which he explained that he had asked his pupils to arrive in Qatar having shot a thousand maximum penalties because, after all, penalties are not a lottery. "They have not done their homework," certifies the BBC.
Along the same lines, The Sun Sport emphasizes that the Spanish team "has been eliminated in its last three international competitions from eleven meters". But it is that the London tabloid adds, in its chronicle, that if the Moroccans, "with more intention" in extra time, "had been more precise, Spain would not even have reached penalties."
"Luis Enrique had warned the journalists that Spain would not alter his style" tiqui-taca, exposes The Sun Sport, which criticizes that, however, it was soon seen that "plan A was not working and plan B or C could not be seen Nowhere".
"Spain was betrayed by its inoffensive game", highlights, for its part, L'Équipe in the headline of its chronicle. The French sports newspaper details that "with its characteristic style of taking possession of the ball and multiplying the passes, Spain did not prove to be dangerous enough and was again eliminated in the round of 16", as happened in Russia 2018 after another 0-0 draw, in that occasion before the hostess.
In its implacable analysis of Luis Enrique's team, L'Équipe delves into the fact that the Spanish players "couldn't score a single goal even from eleven meters and with no one around". Sarabia, Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets, one after the other, missed their penalties. "The penalty shootout confirmed the sad observation of the previous 120 minutes," certifies the Parisian media.
From Italy, Corriere dello Sport also points directly to the misbehavior of the red with penalties and recalls the last eliminations against Russia (2018) and the transalpine team itself (2021) from eleven meters. "Spain still suffers from the spell of penalties, they failed to convert even one," highlights the Rome-based sports daily.
However, the Italian newspaper also penalizes Luis Enrique's team for their style of play and assesses that "Spain was too slow in their tiqui-taca". "Spain, without a true center forward for too many minutes, had a lot of the ball, but without damaging it, so Morocco deservedly passed, the ashen in the quarterfinals," continues Corriere dello Sport in its report on the round of 16.
The newspaper Sport-Bild also emphasizes the sterile possession of the ball by the Spaniards. The German newspaper describes that despite the fact that Spain "dominated possession of the ball", it did so "without inspiration" and with very few dangerous arrivals in the opposite area. The numbers speak for themselves: the reds had a very high 77% possession and surpassed the 1,000 pass barrier –to just 300 from their rival–, but they only shot once at Bono's goal in 120 minutes.
"The 2010 world champion collided with the Moroccan wall," explains Sport-Bild, who does not forget the mistakes from eleven meters: "The Spanish lost their nerve from the penalty spot and none ended up in the net."
On the other side of the Atlantic, Olé states that Spain "began as a great candidate and ended up suffering from end to end" against Morocco. The Argentine sports newspaper highlights that "Luis Enrique bets on an offensive game, it is his fight, however, sometimes intentions are not enough."
"His team crossed the border between patience and inconsequentiality, lateral to the central defender, central defender to the central defender, central defender to the lateral defender and start over again," reproaches Olé, criticizing the lack of depth in possession of the red. "The names don't matter, in this case we analyze the lack of players who would at least seek to pass the first Moroccan block in a more vertical way, with a deep pass, a touch and forward return." "And everything was played under the deafening boo of almost 30,000 African fans every time the Spanish had the ball," adds the Buenos Aires newspaper, in a comment on the massive support of the public at the Education City Stadium by Al Rayyan for the Atlas lions. .
"There was no feeling of a goal at all, the minutes passed (...). And if they didn't know how to win it in the 90s, they almost ended up doing everything to lose it in the 120s, because the Moroccans warned that the rival's despair was opening up a door", Olé closes, recalling the dangerous counters of Hoalid Regragui's team when the game was already dying.
Beyond the chronicle, in which Spain's lack of dangerous chances are emphasized despite its mastery of possession, on ESPN they give Hugo Sánchez the voice. The legend of Real Madrid and the Mexican team says he is "sad" for the elimination of the red and also points to the lack of offensive depth of the Spanish team: "I feel that the style and the way of playing in Spain has not changed, but it has his aggressiveness and his verticality from the beginning".
In addition, in his analysis, Hugo Sánchez dares to point out the lack of unity in Spain around his team. "I feel that they still support their teams more than the national team," he declares. "In Spain the passion for soccer is tremendous and I think that they can express that passion openly for their teams, but when it's the national team they have to join forces so that that energy also reaches it, because now it's divided," adds the memorable '9 ' of Real Madrid.
