England’s Chloe Kelly faced backlash from Spanish media over after scoring the winning penalty in a 3-1 shootout victory.
Kelly did her usual skip before scoring and then made eye contact with Spanish goalkeeper Cata Coll while celebrating in her face. It rattled Coll, with Kelly being criticised for making a “cocky gesture.”
Spanish outlets were left frustrated, with Diario AS claiming England “robbed” Spain of a historic win in a match Spain largely dominated, while Mundo Deportivo called the loss a “cruel ending” for Spain.
🙅♂️El gesto de Chloe Kelly tras marcar el penalti definitivo https://t.co/8TFgiE3R6h
— Diario AS (@diarioas) July 27, 2025
2022 ✅
2025 ✅Chloe Kelly comes up with the match-winning moment for the Lionesses again as the European champions retain their crown! #WEuro2025 #WomensEuros #Lionesses pic.twitter.com/sOlPrc4yR9
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 27, 2025
Posting a clip of the goal on their website, Diario AS wrote: “This is unnecessary, my friend: Kelly’s cocky gesture to Cata Coll after scoring the decisive penalty.
“The England specialist changed her run during her penalty celebration to get past the goalkeeper she had just beaten.”
In their full match report, the publication wrote: “History is made by victories, and also by defeats. Spain fell in the Euro Cup final but left its name sealed in gold.
“England robbed them of their dream; the world champions couldn’t close the circle they began to write two years ago in Sydney.
“They couldn’t have been crueler, in the penalty shootout, tossing a few dice in the air.”
Chloe Kelly overcame a tough 2024-25 season start, just six months ago, Chloe Kelly was struggling for minutes at Man City and got dropped from the England squad.
She made a late move to Arsenal, won the Champions League, and played a key role in England’s back-to-back Euros triumph.
Chloe Kelly said to the media: “Firstly, incredible game of football, both sides really going head to head, two incredible teams fighting for everything and leaving it all on the pitch.
“I just came onto the pitch and wanted to make something happen. I know Less’ [Russo] strengths and tried to put it on her head. And the penalty, I actually missed three in training yesterday.
“I am really proud to be English right now and part of an amazing group of girls.”
“There were a lot of tears at full-time, especially when I saw my family, because those are the people who got me through those dark moments,” Kelly added.
“I’m so grateful to be out the back end, if that’s a story to tell someone who is experiencing something similar
“Tough times don’t last and just around the corner was a Champions League final – won that. And now a Euros final – won that.
“Thank you to everyone who wrote me off, I’m grateful.”
Chloe Kelly on her penalty routine: “To be honest, it started when I was at Everton quite a few years ago now.
“It is something that works for me, I can’t explain it too much. My routine that works for me and I take my time and I take my breath.
“Taking a penalty normally would probably be a bit weird to me.”
Kelly on the spinning the ball before taking a penalty: “Honestly it’s just making sure that I’m ready and not letting anyone take me off my routine. I spin the ball until I feel like it’s right, and then when I am ready there is no amount of time, just when I feel like it’s the perfect one, whether that be ten times, I make sure it’s ten times.
“It is just part of my routine just like my breath work is, I try to stick to my routine as much as possible and believe in myself in those moments.
“There were a lot of tears at full-time, especially when I saw my family because those are the ones who got me through those dark moments.
“I am so grateful to be out the back end.
“If that’s a story to tell someone that maybe experiencing something the same – tough times don’t last. Just around the corner was a Champions League final, won that, and now a Euros final, won that.
“So, thank you to everyone that wrote me off.
“I’m grateful.”
On Sarina Wiegman’s support for her: “She is incredible what she has done for this country, we should all be so grateful.
“What she has done for me individually, she gave me hope when I probably didn’t have any.
” She gave me the chance to represent my country again, and representing England is never a given.
“What she has done for this country and the Netherlands too is incredible, what she has done for the women’s game, she has taken it to a whole new level.
“I’m so grateful to work with such amazing staff members.”
“Thank you to whoever wrote me off, I’m grateful” 💪
Chloe Kelly is delighted to silence her critics after lifting the Euros and Champions League in the last few months 🏆
{Credit: UEFA} pic.twitter.com/TRLcIUAro6
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 27, 2025
Sarina Wiegman on Chloe Kelly: “Every player has their own story. Every story is incredible. Her story is out in the open and I’m so happy for her. She has been fighting to come back to her highest level. She really wanted to take that penalty. To be able to score it under that pressure is incredible.
“She loves those moments. That is her super strength, taking penalties but also doing that at the most important moment with the most consequence of being successful or not. Yeah I love it.”
Alessia Russo speaking to Uefa on winning penalty: “As soon as she [Chloe Kelly] stepped up I was confident, I’m confident with anyone. Chloe is special in those moments. We know she’s done it before and we know she’ll do it again. I was still nervous but I had a quiet confidence about that penalty.”
