Topics: UEFA Euro 2016, Spain, David De Gea, Croatia, Italy
The Spanish goalkeeper was harshly criticized for his performance against the Blazers, as some experts believe he could've avoided conceding twice.

After years of asking for a chance to become Spain's No. 1 goalkeeper, Manchester United's David De Gea has finally found out what it feels like to be criticized for his performances with La Roja.

De Gea was blamed for the team's loss against Croatia, which helped the Eastern Europe side to leapfrog the Spaniards as Group D leaders. Some Spanish experts believed that De Gea could have saved at least one of the two goals scored by the Croatian team, and started pointing their fingers at the 25-year-old shot-stopper.

Earlier today, De Gea hit back at those who blamed him for the unexpected loss with a motivational message.

"Only those that are defeated lose all hope. Thanks for your criticism, it only makes me stronger. Let's keep fighting!"

The Spanish team will be facing Italy in the tournament's Round of 16. If they make it past the next round, La Roja could be forced to face powerhouse teams such as Germany, England and France.

Here's a closer look at how the Euro 2016 bracket looks like.