“My players have perfectly represented my idea of football”, assures Luis Enrique
Despite the elimination against Morocco (0-0 aet, 3-0 tab), Luis Enrique defended his players.
Eliminated (0-0 ap, 3-0 tab) by Morocco in the round of 16 of the World Cup-2022 on TuesdaySpain “dominated” but “just missed by one goal” according to coach Luis Enrique, “sad” but “proud“because his players”perfectly represented their idea of football“.
Did your style of play end up causing your loss?
“We dominated the match, we just missed a goal. We generated dangerous situations, facing an opponent entrenched behind. We could have been more effective in the last meters, it’s true. But this zone is where the space-time is the smallest. We could have created more, but I’m more than satisfied with what my players did. They perfectly represented my idea of football”.
How do you explain the three missed penalties?
“The reason is simple: I chose the first three shooters. I thought they were the best shooters in the field at that time. Starting with the third shooter, I let the players decide. Well, you see, I had some flair, huh? But if I had to do it again, I would do the same thing, I would choose the same three shooters. The only thing I would change is that I would remove (Yassine) Bounou from the cages”.
What did you tell your players after elimination?
“The only important thing in this sport is the ability to make a lot of people happy, even strangers. When I look at the passion with which they live this in Argentina, I say to myself + phew, this pressure! +. In these extremes, it does not help, it penalizes. A little peace of mind, support, that’s what the players need. It’s not a war, it’s a sport where we represent our country. We are sad, we have a feeling of disappointment but I congratulated my players for their behavior throughout the tournament. If anyone is responsible, it’s me, not them. Life goes on, I hope it will be useful to them in the future”.
