Spanish midfielder Pedri, sidelined for the Euro football final due to a knee injury suffered in the quarter-finals, asked his teammates to make him "European champion" by defeating England in the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

It's been tough days for Pedri, back to being injured and unable to help the Spanish national team, with whom he hadn't played since the Qatar World Cup in December 2022. He still remembers the challenge with Toni Kroos that injured him early in the quarter-final match, a game he had started with great momentum, nearly scoring a goal.

"It was a quick play, when I fell to the ground I already felt something was wrong, something different in my knee. It's a blow, but these things happen," he lamented. "I was coming off a tough season for me, with many injuries, not the continuity I would have liked. When setbacks like this happen, you reconsider a lot of things," he confessed.

"When it happened, I wanted to stay on the bench, but they told me to come in for an assessment with the doctor. My thoughts were on encouraging my teammates; I was sure Dani (Olmo) would play amazingly, that the team would give everything, and we would surely advance," he added.

Since then, Pedri has been through a challenging process, deciding to continue living the Euro experience with his teammates despite not being able to train and knowing he would miss the semi-final and potentially the final if they progressed.

"The first days are always the hardest. When you can barely walk due to the pain, you question many things, why it always happens to you, what you can improve. In this case, it was a knock, not much you can do to improve it, but you always try to find the positive side; it will help you improve and overcome the obstacles in your path, make you stronger," he reflected.

He expressed gratitude for the support from his teammates. "Everyone cares, asks how the recovery is going. It's really nice; we're like a family here, and that's what has brought us to the final. We deserve to win for the family we've become. I'm sure they will give their all. Make me European champion!" he concluded, wishing as a Barcelona player.