Jens Lehmann dismissed Spain as a “team of kids” and predicted Germany to win their thrilling quarterfinal matchup with Spain in the Euro 2024.
Ahead of the much awaited Spain vs. Germany encounter in Stuttgart, the former German custodian has taken digs at Luis de la Fuente’s team. Although both sides have been playing brilliantly throughout the tournament, Lehmann thinks the hosts will prevail against a “inexperienced” Spanish squad.
Lehmann, who captained Germany for 61 games, is currently a pundit on German TV. “We’ve seen the good results [Spain] have had, without doubt, in the group phase,” Lehmann said during a Welt TV programme. They may be more skilled than us in terms of technique. However, their stature is little, and they lack experience. These are youngsters in a squad. Their players are quite young. Their experience travelling abroad is limited.”
Despite Lehmann’s comments, Spain’s performance at the Euros so far has been nothing short of remarkable. They were the only team to earn maximum points in the group stage, winning all three of their games against Croatia, Italy, and Albania without conceding a goal. Youngsters like Barcelona’s 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal and Athletic Club’s 21-year-old Nico Williams have been instrumental in their success, with Spain romping past Georgia 4-1 in the last-16.
Hosts Germany also had a strong showing in Group A, beginning the tournament with a resounding 5-1 victory over Scotland. They followed this with a 2-0 win against Hungary and a 1-1 draw with Switzerland before easing past Denmark 2-0 to secure their place in the quarter-finals.
Spanish forward Mikel Oyarzabal was not bothered with Lehmann’s comments. He dismissed them and said: “It’s another opinion, it’s respectable, but we don’t share it. We know we’re a group that makes a great team. People will have their reasons for saying what they think, but it doesn’t affect us.”
As the two teams prepare for their quarter-final clash, the stage is set for a thrilling encounter. Lehmann’s comments have added an extra layer of intensity to the match, with both sides eager to prove their superiority on the field. It remains to be seen whether Lehmann stands vindicated after the final whistle but fans can definitely expect a high-octane battle when the two footballing giants meet in Stuttgart on Friday.
