The coach of Spain, Luis Enrique Martinez, assured on the eve of the decisive match against Sweden to achieve the direct ticket to the World Cup in Qatar, in La Cartuja de Sevilla, warned that “the most difficult thing is missing, to win this Sunday” , and said that , although a draw would be worth it, they are not going to “change anything” in the plan nor are they going to “go out and speculate”.
“This is not going to be a party until the end of the game , we are not going to focus on the previous streaks that can distract us from our work. We would have signed to be like this before starting the qualifying phase, but the work is not done yet”, I emphasize this Saturday Luis Enrique, who expects “a difficult rival” and that “he will also have his opportunities”.
Before directing a final training session at the Sevillian stadium, which will present a full house , the Spanish coach praised his team’s captain, Sergio Busquets, “one of the best midfielders in the history of world football” and that on Sunday he will match Xavi Hernandez, his new coach at Barcelona, ​​as the player with the most appearances in the national team with 133.
Beyond that record, Luis Enrique insisted at a press conference that they are going to “have difficulties” against Sweden, a “team that knows defend well in his area and with fast players who can create danger on the counter”, who “always” had a hard time scoring goals and who defends very well” .
Although Spain could certify the direct classification for its twelfth consecutive World Cup, something that is often not valued, the Asturian preferred to keep what lies ahead. “It is very important to focus on the difficulties that we are going to have tomorrow, which are going to be many,” he stressed.
He added that they have already achieved that La Cartuja is going to be full and that now they have to get the fans to carry them on wings “at times when they will have to suffer, which there will be,” he reiterated.
Luis Enrique pointed out that he has seen Sweden’s last games against Greece and Georgia, and that in the clash played in the Scandinavian country they did not deserve “the defeat (2-1),” but football does not know justice “, and said that although now the draw is worth it, they are not going to “change anything, beyond the nuances that always occur in a game.”
“There are going to be difficulties and we need the public, because with him they are weaker and we are stronger,” stressed the coach, who insisted on putting aside his possible renewal because “the future is today, and tomorrow the closest” , the one that “passionate” him and “motivates” him, and he added that “how long that feeling will last, you never know”, although neither he nor anyone in the Federation cares about it because the chemistry is very good.
I assert that he has “always” felt supported as a coach, beyond the fact that we are not stupid and we depend on results, but I have always felt reinforced“, and I reiterate that he does not value whether Sweden is going to play with a great player like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who would improve his “long game”, because that is up to his coach.
According to Luis Enrique, it is possible that Spain will dominate possession of the ball, “but that does not guarantee that you will get the result “, because Sweden can “make quick transitions, have second plays or set pieces”, and they were sure that “everyone is going to use their weapons”
. two of the three results that can occur, but we are not going to speculate or think about what to stop, but to play as we have done in each qualifying match and in the League of Nations, and try to be successful”, he assured, facing “a long game from the rival” that they will try to “fight in the best possible way”.
He insisted that Sweden is “used to this type of game, which is complicated, with powerful strikers and they know what they are playing, so it is always difficult”, but stressed that Spain began this concentration “talking about pressure, that they needed to win both games, and nothing has changed .”
“Our plan has been the same from the beginning, we are closer, but it is still our plan, no matter who plays” in Sweden, Luis Enrique asserted in reference to Ibrahimovic, in addition to emphasizing that the rival “is a very good team, very powerful and very worked”, and to deny that he has ever criticized his style of play .
