In the quarter-final of the European Cup on July 7, Beijing time, the Swiss team and England's competition finally decided the winner by penalty kicks, and the Swiss player Akanji's miss in the penalty kicks became one of the turning points of the game. After the match, Akanji was interviewed, expressing his inner feelings and views on the match.
Akanji began by confessing his disappointment and remorse over the penalty shootout loss: "The disappointment is hard to describe. I feel like I failed the team, I failed the whole country. I tried to take my responsibility, but it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. I thought I was going to score, but the reality was that I kicked in the wrong direction and wasn't precise enough."
Speaking about England goalkeeper Pickford, Akanji said, "I didn't watch him. I don't know what he did. All I know is that he wasn't in goal when I approached and put the ball on the penalty spot, but I didn't look at him. I don't know what he was doing, I'm not sure."
Despite conceding the crucial penalty, Akanji did not show any resentment or animosity towards his opponents. On the contrary, he showed sportsmanship and generosity: "Even the [England] players I hadn't played with came over to console me after I conceded the penalty. I tried to respond to them, but I was really in a bad mood. But I wished them good luck in the game. I especially hope they don't get injured. That's the most important thing."
Finally, Akanji said he will be watching England's future performances, "We will see how far they can go."
