THE VIEW FROM SPAIN
“This is a young national team with a good future but they may not be ready yet. Spain can beat anyone but they can be beaten by anyone too. You have to be almost perfect to win the tournament and Spain lack a bit of cohesion and experience. It would be a success to reach the semis.”
Miguel Angel Diaz, Cadena Cope
“Spain are in the middle of a generational change after the 2018 World Cup. Luis Enrique has tried a lot of players – apart from Sergio Ramos there are virtually no guaranteed starters. Either the young players take a big step forward or it’s hard to see them reaching the semis.”
Rodrigo Errasti, Imago Sport
There’s something enjoyably provocative about Luis Enrique, a glint in his eye that suggests the hard edge is at least partly playful. Or perhaps he’s just too honest to play the game the press wants to play. Not a man to suffer fools, single-minded and competitive, he erected a scaffold at Spain’s Las Rozas HQ to get a better view of training, and has been swift to change players in his search for dynamism and edge to go with technical quality. Back in the job having been forced to temporarily leave his post following the tragic death of his nine-year-old daughter.