After leading England to a 3-2 away victory over Spain in their final UEFA Nations League group-stage match, manager Thomas Tuchel spoke to ITV.
What an incredible night! How would you sum up this evening's match?
Yes, it was a fantastic game, and overall, the victory was completely deserved. We were the better team on the pitch and performed exceptionally well from the opening whistle to the final. The red card and penalty decision are always... well, very significant, and I really needed to understand why both decisions were made.
But once it happened, the remaining 30 minutes felt incredibly long and torturous. I don't want to dwell on that, though. There were so many positives in today's game, and our performance after 60 minutes, along with the final result, was fully deserved.
What factor do you think define the 1st 65 minutes of the match? What pleased you most during that period?
As I just said, we knew we had to deliver a comprehensive performance, and we did exactly that, giving everything we had on the field without anything left. We played with great bravery and decisiveness when we had the ball, and remained patient when defending without it. We were eager to score and aggressive in the opposition's half, while in our own half we played calmly and patiently, closing the gaps in our defense and staying in position at every critical moment.
This was an outstanding team performance in terms of spirit, energy and tireless running, as well as a display of the highest technical and tactical standards.
Coming here to play away, ending Spain's 43-match unbeaten streak, beating the world champions – you had always longed for such an emphatic, landmark victory, and now you have finally achieved it...
Yes, we secured this victory in a thoroughly deserved manner, which is even more important. We always focused on our performance and on maintaining the right attitude, and that's exactly what everyone did on the pitch. I cannot praise enough the effort the entire team put in and what they showed on the field today.
Yes, Declan (Rice) just mentioned that while you were grinding it out, he even had flashbacks to the match against Argentina. So, how did you feel on the sidelines as you considered substitutions and the adjustments you needed to make? You had to...
(Interrupting) No, to me, it felt more like it was about the red-card situation. At that point, you just have to grit your teeth and hold on. Against such a strong opponent, half an hour on the pitch felt like 2 full hours.
The opposition had top-quality players all over the pitch, the atmosphere in the stadium came alive in an instant, and then we conceded a 2nd goal. From that moment on, we had to grit our teeth and endure an extremely long and difficult spell. But that's how the game unfolded. I think that without the red card incident, we would have been the clear and undisputed winners of this contest.
Speaking of James Trafford, do you feel you’ve found a new number-1 goalkeeper?
No, there isn't actually a need for a new number 1 goalkeeper. Yes, he made a fantastic double save, which is exactly what we want and expect to see. He played extremely well, because the entire team's system can only operate smoothly when every player on the pitch, from number 1 to number 11, is performing at a high level.
What did England show the world tonight?
We showed the world what this team is made of and what we are truly capable of. We demonstrated our firm belief in the team's development process, our strong desire to keep growing and improving, and our readiness to push ourselves and challenge our limits.
We had just achieved our best results in 60 years, but we were still not satisfied. We continue to strive for improvement and have successfully narrowed or closed the gaps in the areas we have always wanted to improve. Everything we achieved during the last 2 consecutive national team training camps was truly impressive. All credit and praise go to this team.
Was the performance you saw in the 1st 65 minutes tonight the best you've ever seen?
Given the specific match situation, the opponent we were facing, and the fact that we were playing away from home? Yes, it certainly was.
Next, the aim is to win the Nations League title...
For now, the priority is to win the quarter-final.