Extra spice to Iberian derby
SOCHI: With Spain unbeaten in 20 games and Portugal having lost one competitive match since September 2014, tomorrow’s clash in Sochi appeared to be a case of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object – at least until yesterday.
Then, in a drastic and sensational move, Spain fired coach Julen Lopetegui and replaced him with Fernando Hierro, whose only previous senior coaching experience was at second-tier Spanish club Oviedo.
Lopetegui, who only last month extended his contract as Spain coach, agreed on Tuesday to take over at Real Madrid next season – but the Spanish federation (RFEF) only found out five minutes before the official announcement and were furious.
The contrast with Portugal and the manner in which their coach Fernando Santos agreed to renew his contract after winning Euro 2016 two years ago could not have been greater.
“We sat down, had a coffee and easily reached an agreement,” he said at the time.
The neighbourly rivalry and the intriguing prospect of a duel between Real teammates Sergio Ramos of Spain and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo meant the Group B match was always going to be one of the highlights of the opening round.
The Spanish turmoil has added even more spice to the fixture and it remains to be seen how much the Spaniards will be affected, especially after media reports that the squad was split over whether Lopetegui should remain or not.
Some teams can be galvanised by such episodes, however, and Ramos quickly issued a war cry on Twitter.
“We are the national team, we represent a badge, colours, a fanbase and a country,” he said. “Our responsibility and commitment is with you as well as for you. Yesterday, today and tomorrow together.”
Spain had certainly rediscovered their touch under Lopetegui, using relentless possession to wear down opponents, as shown by their unbeaten run since he took the reins.
European champions Portugal have lost only once in 24 competitive matches since Santos arrived in September 2014 although, despite the presence of Ronaldo and players such as Bernardo Silva, they tend to be dour and pragmatic.
Spain have dominated matches between the pair, winning 16 of their 35 meetings with only six wins for Portugal. Four of those have been at major tournaments with Spain winning the last two – at the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.
With Morocco and Iran making up the group, both Iberian teams could be forgiven for being happy with a draw when they clash tomorrow but Santos has other ideas.
“I am not signing off on anything other than a win,” he said. “We’ve come here to win every game that we play.”
Hierro plans to carry on Lopetegui’s good work as he prepares to lead his country into their World Cup opener.
“The key is to change as little as possible,” Hierro said.
“You can’t change two days of work in two days and a large part of the technical team is staying here with us too. We’ve watched the videos for the next game and we need to use our brains, be coherent and, anyway, between now and Portugal there’s not much room for change. I’ve been at all the training sessions, in the dayto-day we’ve been present and I can’t change anything in these two days.”
Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales sacked Lopetegui on the eve of the tournament, citing his conduct in agreeing to become the next Real coach without informing his current employers. * Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal’s most capped player with 150 appearances and their record scorer with 81 goals. * Portugal have lost only one out of 24 competitive matches since Fernando Santos took over as coach in September 2014 - a World Cup qualifier away to Switzerland in September 2016. * Spain were unbeaten in their 20 matches under coach Julen Lopetegui who was sacked yesterday. Their last defeat was by Italy at Euro 2016. Previous meetings: The teams have played 36 times with 16 wins for Spain, 13 draws and six victories for Portugal. Last meeting: Portugal 0 Spain 0. Spain won 4-2 on penalties. (Donetsk, 27 June 2012, European Championship semi-finals) Hierro, a former Real captain, refused to criticise his old club for their conduct, and admitted the chance to coach his country was an opportunity too good to turn down.
“It’s a nice challenge. I know the circumstances and Julen’s work has been fantastic and I wish him all the best,” he said.
“It was a decision I had to take quickly – it was a case of taking it or walking away, but I couldn’t say no. I’d have never forgiven myself.” The 50-yearold believes the players are ready to put the change behind them and focus on winning a second World Cup.
“They’re great professionals who are mature and responsible. If I wasn’t sure that we couldn’t have a great tournament, I wouldn’t be here,” Hierro said. “They are up for the challenge, like all Spaniards are. We need to get back on track and stay mature in this moment.
“The side will stay the same as it has done up until now, it’s up to us to move on and put this behind us and think about what we are representing.” – Reuters