Spain recovered from a goal down to beat Georgia 4-1 for a spot in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals, ending one of the tournament’s most compelling underdog stories.

Goals from midfielders Rodri and Fabián Ruiz brought Spain back into the game after Robin Le Normand’s own-goal in the 18th minute had given Georgia a shock lead. Nico Williams and Dani OImo took the game out of Georgia’s reach with two more goals late in the game as heavy rain fell.

Spain will play host nation Germany in the quarterfinals on Friday in Stuttgart.

The loss ends Georgia’s first ever major tournament campaign, which included a 2-0 upset win over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.

Despite the lopsided score, Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili had another standout game with nine saves to prevent a rout.

Spain had beaten Georgia 7-1 in qualifying last year, but this game was a close contest until the last 20 minutes and testament to Georgia’s rapid improvement under coach Willy Sagnol.

Playing its fourth game of Euro 2024, Spain had yet to concede a goal all tournament.

That soon changed when Otar Kakabadze surged down the right flank for Georgia and crossed low. Le Normand chested the ball past his own goalkeeper, with the defender apparently distracted by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia arriving behind him to meet the cross.

Spain took its time to get back into the game, but Rodri — back from a one-game suspension — leveled the score in the 39th with a low shot from just outside the box.

Georgia remained a threat on the counter, including with an audacious shot from the halfway line by Kvaratskhelia, but Spain midfielder Ruiz made it 2-1 in the 51st when he rose unmarked to meet a cross from the 16-year-old Lamine Yamal.

Needing a goal, Georgia had to open up its compact defensive formation and conceded twice more as Williams scored in the 75th and substitute Olmo eight minutes later.

After the final whistle, Georgia’s players gathered in front of their fans for a slow-clap chant reminiscent of another European Championship underdog — Iceland — when it beat England in 2016.

-AP

Italy will keep Luciano Spalletti as manager until 2026 as planned despite their Euro 2024 campaigning ending in the last 16, Italian Football Federation President Gabriele Gravina said on Sunday.

Spalletti was the coach that guided Victor Osimhen’s Napoli to their first Serie A victory since the era of Diego Maradona.

Spalletti’s Italian sides were beaten 2-0 by Switzerland on Saturday, having disappointed in their Euros title defence, but the manager, who replaced Roberto Mancini last August on a contract until 2026, will be given more time.

“Yesterday there was a long chat with the coach and I think it is unthinkable to solve problems by abandoning a project that is multi-year, you cannot abandon the project after eight or nine months,” Gravina told reporters.

“A coach who has been in charge for nine or 10 games is central to the project, and he cannot always have all the players available.

“(Spalletti) has our confidence. He must work because in 60 days there is already a new challenge.”

While confirming the coach, Gravina reflected on the disappointment of Euro 2024, where they were outclassed by Spain and needed a last-minute goal against Croatia to stay in the tournament before the final knockout blow by Switzerland.

“What unfortunately remains is the disappointment of not having been able to demonstrate to those who followed us everything that has been done,” Gravina said.

“We have not shown the character to make up for the shortcomings that unfortunately we have. Last night we shared the responsibilities with everyone. We are all responsible.”

Gravina also expressed his concerns that Serie A clubs do not give enough space to young Italian players, and Spalletti reiterated that need as he intends to freshen up the squad.

“Yesterday’s game knocks us back to zero and we have to start from there. We need to rejuvenate the squad and recreate a group,” Spalletti said.

“I haven’t had the answers I was looking for so far and it is necessary to recreate from below, a group that has new strengths.

“It’s difficult to find another (Giorgio) Chiellini or another (Leonardo) Bonucci, but by giving space to (Riccardo) Calafiori you can find important players again.”

Spalletti’s first job when taking over was to qualify for the Euros, but he is well aware that they have failed to meet expectations since then and is already looking to the future.

“In yesterday’s game we took an important step backwards that cannot be accepted,” he said.

“But we start from there, and I think I know what to do.”

-Reuters

At 38 years and 289 days, Croatia’s Luka Modric has become the oldest player to score in the history of the European Championship when he scored in the 55^th minute in the last Euro 2024 Group B match with Italy.

He did that just after missing a penalty kick in the 54^th minute of the match played in Leipzig.

However, his heroic performance was not enough for Croatia as a goal, deep in the added time salvaged the game for Italy who tied the scores at 1-1 and advanced to the knockout stage.

Hitherto, games played on 24^th June had not been favourable for Italy since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.