Sunday Oliseh: I've got my joy back — Super Eagles legend hails 'Magnificent' Spain for Euros triumph

Spain beat England in spectacular fashion to lift a record fourth European Championship. La Roja won all seven games in the tournament, playing a style that enchanted all. 

Their exploits and eventual success have earned them plaudits from all and sundry, including Super Eagles legend Sunday Oliseh, who said that La Roja restored his joy in the European Championships. 

Deployed in the ‘Group of Death', Spain were destined for an arduous path to victory. Luis de la Fuente's side made light work of Croatia, Italy and then Albania in the group stage, taking maximum points in all their games—the only team to do so. 

They were then drawn into the tougher half of the knockout stage routes and had to beat Georgia, Germany, France and tonight, England, to lift the Euros. 

Spain finished the competition as the best team in almost all major metrics. They are the top scorers in the tournament and also conceded the least number of goals.

The 49-year-old retired Nigerian midfielder, who famously scored a rocket against Spain at the 1998 World Cup, was deeply enamoured by the performance of the Southern European nation.

He named standout players from the squad, and he credited the Spanish team for filling him with joy. 

“‘Magnificent 7’ Spain win 7 games in a row to become record European champions with 4 titles,” Oliseh tweeted. “Yamal, Williams Olmo, Rodri  & coach De la Fuentes have given me back joy watching the European championship. What a Team, what a football philosophy with youngsters. By far the best Team.”

Meanwhile, Oliseh was recently a guest on a podcast in which he accused the current crop of Super Eagles players of lacking respect for their predecessors.