
Alvaro Morata set to retire after crucial penalty miss - 'I felt like crying'
Spain were beaten by Portugal in the Nations League final on Sunday evening with ex-Chelsea star Alvaro Morata missing the decisive penalty for his side before Ruben Neves won the game
Alvaro Morata has admitted he is considering Spain retirement after missing the crucial penalty in the Nations League final. The Euro 2024 champions took on Portugal in Munich on Sunday evening and battled to a thrilling 2-2 draw.
Arsenal target Martin Zubimendi opened the scoring for Spain before Nuno Mendes replied with an excellent effort. Mikel Oyarzabal put Spain ahead once again ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo 's equaliser.
Penalties came and went with Morata seeing his effort saved by Portugal star Diogo Costa, with Ruben Neves winning the trophy with his successful effort. Speaking after his miss, Morata has admitted he could consider stepping back from the international stage.
He said: "I feel sorry for my teammates, but that's part of life. I thank the coach for his words. The penalty? I took it badly, I could have done better, but there's nothing I can do about it.
'I'm leaving angry. I wanted to cry, even though I didn't. My children were in the stands, and in life, you have to learn."
On retirement, the ex-Chelsea man said: "I'm only thinking about what happened today, but it's possible I won't be back in September."
Morata, 32, has accumulated 86 appearances for Spain since his international debut in 2014 and has gone on to score 37 goals - the fourth-highest in the nation's history behind just Fernando Torres, Raul and David Villa.
While Spain boss Luis De La Fuente recognised Morata's error, he refused to blame the striker. He said: "All the penalty takers were at an excellent level, and if Morata made a mistake, it was because he dared to. Morata is a champion and a role model for us. I'm really sorry he made that mistake, but I'm responsible for it because I asked him to."
Who was man-of-the-match between Portugal and Spain? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Morata now faces a major decision over his club future, as well as his international commitments. The ex- Chelsea and Atletico Madrid man spent the second half of last season on loan at Turkish giants Galatasaray, with that deal set to expire in January 2026.
He scored seven goals across 16 outings in all competitions, helping the side win the league with an eye-watering 95 points That move followed a disappointing six-month spell with Italian giants AC Milan as he netted just six times in 25 appearances. Morata had only signed for Milan last summer from Atletico Madrid.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
England's reason for playing Senegal in Nottingham
England will take on Senegal at the City Ground in Nottingham as they play away from Wembley once again as the London venue is used for other events throughout the summer England's clash with Senegal on Tuesday evening is being played at Nottingham Forest 's City Ground - not Wembley as the country's biggest stadium prepares for concert season. The Three Lions traditionally play their games in London but have chosen to head up the M1 to Nottingham, where they'll play alongside the River Trent. Wembley has long been used as a multi-purpose venue and this summer several of music's biggest acts are in town - meaning football has moved out. Wembley will host seven concerts in the next month, starting with Capital Radio's Summertime Ball this Sunday. After that the 90,000-seater stadium will host 19 concerts before England next head there to play Wales on October 9. There is also the small matter of a blockbuster boxing contest between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois. It means England won't be playing underneath the famous arch when they take on Andorra in a World Cup qualifier in September. That honour is given to Villa Park. There has been a cry for England to take the team around the country, making it more accessible for those who aren't based in and around London. Nottingham has got the nod for the clash with Senegal, who England beat in the World Cup knockouts back in 2022. Thomas Tuchel has said: "While I know Wembley is our home, I also understand the importance of taking the team around the country when we are able to and the opportunity to experience playing at a famous old English stadium such as the City Ground is one we can all look forward to." Last June, England played Bosnia and Herzegovina at Newcastle's St James' Park and secured a routine win in one of their warm-up games before Euro 2024. Since 2018, they have also played matches at Old Trafford, Molineux, the Riverside Stadium, St Mary's, the King Power Stadium and Elland Road. Their game at Wolves ' Molineux stadium was a low point in the Gareth Southgate era as Hungary secured a 4-0 win. They played successive games in Middlesbrough as part of their preparation for Euro 2020. When Wembley was re-opened in 2007 England didn't play a home match away from the London venue for nine years. The Stadiums selected must comply with UEFA's regulations, have suitable training complexes nearby and, ultimately, be available as other clubs also use their venues to host other events to increase revenue. Tuchel, early in his tenure, didn't hold back in his criticism as England produced a drab showing to see off Andorra at the weekend. The Three Lions were expected to hit several goals past one of Europe's lowest ranked teams but needed a Harry Kane goal to win the game after being booed off at half-time.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Chelsea suffer second 'Club World Cup tax' blow as Borussia Dortmund REJECT £42m bid for Jamie Gittens... with Blues set to revisit signing when transfer window re-opens
Chelsea will fail to complete the signing of Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund before the first of two transfer windows this summer shuts on Tuesday night. The Blues were hoping to add the 20-year-old to their ranks for the Club World Cup and had been in negotiations with Dortmund, upping their initial proposal to €50million (£42m) in a last-ditch attempt to secure the deal. Gittens has reportedly told Dortmund bosses that he wants to move to Stamford Bridge, with Enzo Maresca 's side ready to hand him a seven-year contract. However, reports in Germany have now claimed that the deal is off after the German club refused to budge on their asking price for the winger. Manchester City hold a 10 per cent sell-on clause for Gittens who left the club's academy in 2020 for Dortmund. A special transfer window, which allows clubs to complete deals before the tournament kicks off on Saturday, shuts on Tuesday at 7 pm before reopening next week. Chelsea and Dortmund are expected to return to the negotiating table after the summer tournament. Maresca's men travel to the United States on Friday and face LAFC in their opening fixture in Atlanta on Monday. While Gittens, who also had brief spells at Chelsea and Reading as a youngster, could be in the Dortmund squad for the tournament, which begins with a clash against Brazilian side Fluminense. During his time in the Bundesliga, Gittens made racked up 106 appearances, scoring 17 goals. Although, his breakout campaign came this past season, over the course of which he scored 12 goals and provided three assists in 48 games. The breakdown of his move is the second transfer collapse in a matter of hours for the west London club, who saw a transfer for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maigan fall by the wayside on Tuesday evening. The Blues had stepped up their interest in the Frenchman in recent days and hoped to complete a deal before the special transfer window closes. But the west Londoners were unwilling to pay Milan's fee, which they believe was inflated due to their will to sign him in time for the Club World Cup. It is understood that Milan want around £20m for Maignan, who has one year remaining on his contract at San Siro. A deal between AC Milan and the Conference League winners is now off, according to Fabrizio Romano, who cited Chelsea's frustration at a 'Club World Cup tax'. Chelsea currently have five goalkeepers on their books but none have fully convinced fans. Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Djordje Petrovic, Mike Penders and Kepa Arrizabalaga are all currently contracted at Stamford Bridge, but they have not persuaded the Chelsea hierarchy against looking for another keeper this window. However, following a breakdown in negotiations for Maignan, the Blues reportedly maintain 'full trust' in Petrovic, Sanchez, Jorgensen and Penders.

The National
an hour ago
- The National
Tierney names four Celtic men he kept in touch with after 2019 exit
The left-back recently completed an emotional return to his boyhood club from Arsenal, the team he initially left Parkhead for. Tierney spent six years in North London, making 144 appearances in red and white, winning an FA Cup and two Community Shields. Read more: Throughout his spell south of the border, though, he remained in contact with some key Celtic men: Brendan Rodgers, John Kennedy, James Forrest and Callum McGregor. "I spoke with the manager, and obviously I had worked with the gaffer before and I've always kept in touch with him," said Tierney [ "He's one of the best so I'm so lucky and grateful that he's given me the chance to come back again. "He never had to convince me much but it's just a huge bonus that he's the manager because I loved working with him. He knows how to get the best out of me, and I just loved my time under him. "He's a great person that I've always kept in touch with, John Kennedy as well, who is also someone I've kept in touch with and who I still meet regularly when I'm back, and Cal and Jamesy, who I've been close with now since I was 17." Tierney has penned a five-year deal at Parkhead, committing his long-term future to the club. He already has 170 Celtic appearances to his name, a number he will undoubtedly look to build upon in the coming half-decade.