Like father, like son. Mikel Merino emulates dad’s goal celebration at same stadium at Euro 2024
Spain's Mikel Merino celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during a quarter final match between Germany and Spain at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Manu Fernandez]
STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Like father, like son. Clenching his fist, Mikel Merino ran around the corner flag with a broad smile on his face before putting his head back and letting out a yell of pure joy into the Stuttgart sky. Merino had just scored the last-gasp goal that sent Spain into the semifinals of the European Championship with a 2-1 win over host nation Germany after extra time of a pulsating match. The 28-year-old Merino then recreated his father’s celebrations after Miguel Merino scored a goal in the same stadium more than three decades ago. That goal came in a UEFA Cup match between Miguel Merino’s Osasuna and Stuttgart in November 1991.
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Spain's Mikel Merino, centre, scores his side's second goal during a quarter final match between Germany and Spain at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ariel Schalit