The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Spain’s boss switch downplayed
Mourinho doubts it will have a negative impact
Jose Mourinho feels Spain’s dramatic change of boss two days before their World Cup opener against Portugal tonight is not a “huge problem” for La Roja.
Julen Lopetegui was sacked as Spain coach on Wednesday, a day on from it being announced by Real Madrid that he would take over as their new boss after the tournament.
Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales opted to axe him having been told Lopetegui was taking the Real job just five minutes before the club’s official announcement.
Fernando Hierro, the former Spain captain who has been working as director of football, has been appointed to lead the team though the World Cup.
Giving his thoughts on the matter in his capacity as an RT pundit yesterday, Manchester United and former Real boss Mourinho said: “I think it’s a strange situation. I don’t know if Spain sacked the manager of if the manager sacked himself with the way everything happened between himself and Real Madrid.
“I feel sorry for the manager of course because he went with the team for the last two years and of course he would deserve to be with the team, but I also understand the position of the federation. They just gave him a new contract for the future.
“If it’s true what I read, that the president of the federation was informed a couple of minutes before the club makes it official, it’s a strange process.
“What I feel is that it is a national team with such a quality, such a maturity and such an understanding.
“The fact that it’s not Lopetegui on the bench and it’s Fernando Hierro honestly I don’t think is going to make a huge difference, because the players, they pick themselves.
“They are so good, the team is so good, so automatic, that I don’t think it’s a huge problem for them.”
Mourinho has predicted Portugal will make it all the way to the final along with an Argentina side he sees defeating Spain in the last eight.
That scenario is, of course, a potential pitting of Cristiano Ronaldo against old rival Lionel Messi, and Mourinho said of the two superstars, 33 and 30 respectively: “I think they both arrive in this World Cup probably as the last one.
“I think they are going both to put everything in this World Cup, to try to finish their careers with the only thing they don’t have.
“To be world champion would be the pinnacle of their careers.”
Portugal coach Fernando Santos does not think Spain will be significantly weakened by the sudden departure of coach Julen Lopetegui.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, as reported on the Portuguese Football Federation’s website, www.fpf.pt, Santos said: “It does not seem to me that there is a disadvantage on the part of Spain. “I do not expect any surprises. “There will be two on-field teams that will want to win the game.
“The most important thing is the clash between the two teams. It has everything to be a great game.
“We are prepared for a tricky game but we are confident that we are capable.”
Portugal are the reigning European champions and they will carry confidence from their success two years ago into the tournament in Russia.
Experienced midfielder Joao Moutinho, who sat alongside Santos at the Fisht Stadium, accepts Portugal may not be one of the top favourites but he feels they are capable of challenging.
The 31-year-old, who has won 110 caps, said: “We never hide that we are candidates. The favourites are those who traditionally are (favourites), but we are candidates. We are champions of Europe, although that does not give us favouritism.”
Spain triumphed the last time the sides met in the World Cup, in South Africa eight years ago. The Spaniards also have the better head-to-head record between the countries, having won 16 of their 35 meetings, compared to Portugal’s six.
Yet with a strong group of players of which Cristiano Ronaldo is the leading light, Moutinho feels Portugal are ready for the challenge.
He said: “We expect an extremely strong and united team that will create great difficulties, but we will want to play our game and hope to emerge victorious.”