Enrique silences critics to take team to brink of final
Spain coach Luis Enrique has coped with personal tragedy and of negative public opinion to lead his young squad to the Euro 2020 semi-finals.
Tonight's game against Italy at Wembley is Spain's biggest matchsincetheywoneuro2012 and victory would complete an eventful few weeks for the coach. He incurred the wrath of many fans and large sections ofthespanishmediaforleaving Sergio Ramos out of his squad and picking no players from Real Madrid, with newspaper AS accusing him of betraying the nation's most popular club.
Thecoachturnedmoreheads byonlypickinga24-mansquad instead of 26 and for encouraging French-born defender Aymeric Laporte to switch nationalitiesandleadtheteam's defenceinsteadoframos.more incredulity followed when he kept Sergio Busquets in the squad after the midfielder
tested positive for Covid-19.
Enrique played down the upheavalwithasubtlereminder of the pain he endured in August 2019 when his daughter Xana died aged nine from cancer. "Compared to some of the things I've had to deal with, this is child's play," he said.
Thespanishmediadealtwith hisdaughter'sillnesswithgreat sensitivitybuthavebeenunforgivingabouthishandlingofthe national team and the knives came out when Spain drew theirfirsttwoeuro2020games against Sweden and Poland.
Radio Marca described Luis Enriqueas"pigheaded",adding Spain were "not cut out to win this Euros and we all know it".
Formerspainmidfielderxavi Hernandez was unsurprised at the treatment Luis Enrique, who had an acrimonious departure from Real Madrid as a player before becoming a Barcelona great, has received.
"The atmosphere around Spain is very critical, which makes it more difficult to win. It's even more difficult if the coach does not bring players from Real Madrid," he said.
By leaving out fan favourite and media darling Ramos, Luis Enrique blazed a similar trail to the late Luis Aragones, who was vilified for casting aside Real Madrid striker Raul butvindicatedwhenspainwon Euro 2008.
Likearagones,hehasforgeda siegementalitywiththeplayers hehaschosenandprovedadept at man-management.
Goalkeeperunaisimonmade the howler of the tournament when he let a back pass bobble into his net against Croatia but
Luis Enrique backed him, saying he should "have the memoryofagoldfish"toquicklymove on. He has also fervently supported striker Alvaro Morata, who was booed by Spain supportersandfiercelycriticisedin the media after missing a clear chance against Sweden.
Luis Enrique declared in an interview "it will be Morata and 10 more" in the next game against Poland and the bond between the two could be seen when Morata raced to the sideline to embrace his coach after scoring. His faith was vindicated again when Morata scored a sensational goal in extra-time against Croatia, while Simon redeemed himself by saving two penalties in the shootout win over Switzerland.
"Luis Enrique is the architect of all this. He has shown us the way and where we need to go," said Simon. "The players make the group dynamic but our relationship with the coaching staff has a big influence. Luis Enrique has been very important to us and we're all at ease with him."