So, I was finally kicking back, ready to watch the Spain versus Italy game. You know, one of those matches you actually look forward to, a proper clash. Had my snacks ready and everything. The game was tight, as you’d expect, both teams trying to figure each other out.
Then, around the 55th minute, it just happened. One of those moments that makes everyone in the room go “Oooof!” Italy’s defender, Riccardo Calafiori, ended up putting the ball into his own net. Just like that. An own goal. Spain didn’t even have to work for that one, and suddenly they were 1-0 up. You could almost feel the air go out of the Italian side for a bit.
It really got me thinking, actually. It’s a horrible moment for any player. I remember playing in a much, much smaller league, just a local Sunday game, years back. I was playing defense, and a cross came in. It wasn’t even that dangerous, but I stuck a leg out, trying to be clever and clear it, and just sliced it. Wrong direction. Top corner of my own goal. Beautiful finish, wrong net! The silence from my teammates, then the polite, slightly pitying applause from the two people watching… man, I wanted the ground to just swallow me whole. You feel like you’ve let everyone down.
So, when I saw that happen to Calafiori, on such a massive stage like the Euros, I really felt for the guy. The pressure is immense, everything is happening at a hundred miles an hour. You make a split-second decision, and sometimes, it just goes completely wrong. It’s brutal. Spain were playing well, mind you, they were definitely putting Italy under the cosh. That winger, Nico Williams, was absolutely electric. He was giving the Italian defense a really tough time all game, and it wasn’t a surprise to me when they said he was the Player of The Match. He deserved it, caused so many problems.
But yeah, that own goal was the decider. It’s a tough way to lose, and an even tougher thing for a player to be remembered for from a big game. It’s one of those things in football, isn’t it? One tiny moment, one slight misjudgment, and that’s the game. It just shows how fine the margins are at that level. I bet Calafiori was absolutely gutted. We’ve all had those moments where we’ve messed up, maybe not with millions watching, but that sinking feeling is universal, I reckon.
