How Euro 2024 final is dividing family loyalties

Trevor Baker, wife Monika Mateo and their son will be supporting different teams in the Euro 2024 final

A couple from Coventry are among the households with split footballing loyalties this weekend when England play Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

England fan Trevor Baker and his wife Monika Mateo, who is Spanish, live in the Earlsdon area of the city with their six-year-old son who has had a choice to make.

He will be supporting Spain on Sunday, but despite the division, there is yet to be any tension at home, Mr Baker reports.

“We’ll see what happens on Sunday but so far it’s been fun,” he said.

The Three Lions are set to play in their second successive European Championship final after beating the Netherlands 2-1 on Wednesday.

Ms Mateo described how the tournament had a “lovely atmosphere” and that it was “remarkable” both teams had made it to the end.

“Just seeing people, cheering on their teams, it’s been fantastic," she said.

The pair met in the Spanish city of Alicante before moving to the West Midlands.

Michelle Tavares and her husband Julian live in Gibraltar and will be supporting England

Overseas, England fans who live in Gibraltar, off Spain's south coast, said there was "great atmosphere" in the British territory ahead of the match.

Michelle Tavares, who is originally from Aldridge in Walsall, said she did her “big monthly food shop” in Spain and also travelled there to visit her mum.

“Gibraltar is tiny… so we rely quite a lot on Spain,” she explained, adding “The Rock is absolutely buzzing” about the final.

“Everybody’s getting in the mood and excited, the anticipation is building, we’re all behind England obviously, [it] goes without saying,” she told BBC Radio WM.

“We’ve got close ties with Spain, were just next door, but you know The Rock is behind England for Sunday.”

People on both sides of the border “got on really well” she said, and there would be a “bit of friendly rivalry".

Maria's son is not sure who to support on Sunday

Back in England, Maria, a Spanish resident of Bayston Hill, Shropshire, who lives there with her English husband, said their son "put his head in his hands" when he realised he did not know who to support or which shirt to wear on Sunday.

According to mum, England might be the jersey to pull on. "[Spain] have been playing really well, but I kind of feel they are due a bad game somehow," she said.

'Heart split between the two'

Alex Clayton said he would be supporting both Spain and England

Elsewhere, Alex Clayton, who owns the Tasca Dali Spanish restaurant in Warwick and spent 14 years living in Spain, will be supporting both teams - "if that’s possible”, he said.

However, most of his staff, who were Spanish, would be “rooting for Spain" who had played “extremely well” in the tournament so far, he added.

Similarly, Cayetana Belda Marti, who has lived in Coventry since 2017 but is originally from Valencia, said she was torn between the two sides.

“It’s too hot in Spain, here is like a paradise, you’ll never melt,” she told BBC CWR.

“I will support both obviously, now my heart is split between two,” she said.