BARCELONA – Luis Enrique maintains “the same confidence as the first day” and understands that, as at the beginning of the Eurocup, Spain is capable of conquering the tournament, even if it does not openly proclaim it and focuses on “winning, yes or yes, to go ahead”. Despite this, the coach acknowledged that the defeat “against Slovakia was a boost of energy and confidence that is very good for the team, as is normal.”
Is it a final? The coach was asked, who made it clear that “the match against Slovakia was already a final for us, in which we could only win, and we surpassed it and the eighths are a bit the same.” And as far as Spain can go, he clearly stated: “The marks at the end of the course. When I was a student, the marks were not given to me in March, April or May. We are so focused on the difficulty of passing the round of 16 that it would be a It’s a mistake to think of something else. We want to win every game. “
“There is no selection that has surprised us and we are in the role that we could think. We were able, and I think we deserved it, to pass as first in the group but in terms of confidence we are all at the top” said the Spanish coach at the wheel of press prior to the match against Croatia, a rival whom, he warned, “we know well” and before whom he suggested a “complicated” match.
“We must be calm with which we have been playing the entire tournament. The motivation and desire are those of the first day, without any type of euphoria. And although we would have preferred to go first, that’s how football is. Sometimes the results don’t come. but we have the maximum enthusiasm for tomorrow’s game “declared the coach, presenting Croatia as a team” of a superior level “.
“Croatia is a top-level team that knows what it wants and that, I understand, will do the usual thing: withdraw in the middle” speculated Luis Enrique, warning that, in any case, “everything will depend on the result, being able to wait more withdrawn or pressing higher because if you are behind on the scoreboard there is no point in defending “.
“We played a little more than a year in the Nations League and we know each other well. They have the same coach and the same team base,” the Spanish coach stressed, admitting that Modric “is special in the team, playing in a somewhat different way than at Real Madrid and taking control with Kovacic “.
“To say that the key will be in the center of the field is a cliché … but it is clear that for us it will be vital and for Croatia also because it has high quality players in the area”, stated Luis Enrique, arguing that his team is “used to playing from behind, in a very specific way, and therefore if the midfield doesn’t work we would have nothing to do.”
He also referred to the change that means abandoning the Madrid concentration and the matches in Seville, ensuring that “leaving Madrid has cost us a lot and surely we would have wanted to play every game in Seville because there is no color. I wish I had been in every day Madrid, but professionals adapt to situations. It is a necessary quality and we come to Copenhagen with the illusion of bringing joy to the fans. “
Asked about the threats received by Morata, Luis Enrique was emphatic: “The situation has a degree of gravity that has to be put in the hands of the police. Threatening family members and children is serious and has to be corrected in a resounding manner,” he stated.