Portugal`s victory over Spain in the Nations League final was overshadowed by a tragic incident. A fan died after falling from the second tier of the main stand into the seating area below late in the match.
Medical personnel quickly responded to the scene, but sadly, they were unable to save the individual. UEFA confirmed the fatality in a statement.
The UEFA statement read: “There was a medical emergency at the Munich arena, and despite the best efforts of the medical team, the person sadly passed away at 00:06 (CET). Our thoughts are with their loved ones at this difficult time.”
The sad news reached the teams, and Spain`s coach, Luis de la Fuente, addressed the tragedy during his post-match press conference. Despite the team`s defeat, he offered his sympathies to the family.
He stated: “I want to express my condolences to the family of a fan who has died. That has made us realise what is important in life.”
Portugal`s Man of the Match, Nuno Mendes, also commented on the incident in his interview, acknowledging that the death overshadowed their victory.
Mendes added: “I would like to express my condolences to the family of the fan who died. It casts a pall on our victory today.”
Portugal`s manager, Roberto Martinez, described the death as “extremely sad news.”
Despite the somber atmosphere, Portugal emerged victorious in the final held in Germany after a penalty shootout. The match was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation time.
Martin Zubimendi opened the scoring for Spain before Mendes equalised for Portugal. Spain regained the lead through Mikel Oyarzabal in the 45th minute, but Cristiano Ronaldo brought Portugal level once more.
In the penalty shootout, Alvaro Morata missed for Spain, allowing Ruben Neves to score the winning penalty and secure the title for Portugal.
