Unai Simon already practiced on Friday to cheer with the trophy for the European Football Championship title. Spain’s new goalkeeper hero and penalty defuser held his trophy as “Man of the Match” in his hands and stretched his arms up in the changing room of the St. Petersburg World Cup stadium.
His teammates cheered after the quarter-final victory in the shoot-out over Switzerland, Unai Simon screamed his joy. “Grande Unai Simon” tweeted someone who knows more than too well what it feels like to be the hero of a penalty shootout: “San” Iker Casillas, two-time European champion and world champion with Spain. The goalkeeper, who plays for Athetic Bilbao in the Spanish league, parried the attempts of Fabian Schär and Manuel Akanji, Ruben Vargas then shot over it.
“The emotions of the moment are indescribable,” said Unai Simon. The grin didn’t want to leave his face so quickly. He was pressed so hard by coach Luis Enrique that after a 3-1 penalty shoot-out against Switzerland in the quarter-finals, he was torn onto the lawn of the Russian European Championship stadium.
