30 June,2024 08:23 AM IST | Berlin | AFP
Lamine Yamal
Spain are focussed on defeating debutants Georgia on Sunday to reach the Euro 2024 quarter-finals and so is their 16-year-old starlet Lamine Yamal after receiving some good news to clear his head.
Before La Roja tackle their last 16 assignment in Cologne Yamal discovered he had passed his own - the country's compulsory end of secondary school exams. Still studying when the tournament began in Germany little over a fortnight ago, he shone in Spain's first two matches and was rested for the majority of the third with the team already through top of Group B. While thoughts started to drift towards the knock-out rounds, Spain's right winger was still waiting on his results. "I came out from the training session and was told it all went well," Yamal told Spanish radio station Onda Cero late Thursday. "I passed the exams and I have the ESO title now... I saw the grades on my phone and it said I had passed so I just closed the app, called my mum and told her."
Spain aced their "group of death" examination, overcoming Croatia, Italy and Albania to finish the opening phase with a 100 per cent record and three clean sheets. "Everything we've done in the group phase serves for nothing if on Sunday they knock us out," warned Yamal. "We have played against them before, but we know that it won't be the same game."
Georgia coach Willy Sagnol insisted his team would go into Sunday's clash with Spain in relaxed mood having far exceeded expectations. "We will go in with a lot of confidence because we have nothing to lose. We have already won the Euro. I am just excited to be on the pitch," Sagnol said.
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