Almost eight months before the football world stops the clock and focuses on Qatar, the tension has not yet fully taken hold of Luis Enrique. The Asturian enjoyed the World Cup draw with tranquility and even had fun in the huge Congress and Exhibition Center of Doha, where he coincided with many former teammates and rivals of his time as a footballer and talked about football as equals, as he likes so much. As the pots were emptied, the Spanish coach was pointing out the rivals with whom he will cross in the group stage until reaching the last one, the one reserved for his long-awaited World Cup debut on the bench. An appointment that has a date, on November 23, but what it does not have is a contender, which will come from the winner of the final of the playoff between Costa Rica and New Zealand. "I have lived many final phases and the first game is very important because of the confidence generated by achieving a good result but curiously winning that first game is very complicated," recalled the coach after the draw.
Although beyond that debut, the attention of the draw jumped very soon, when Spain and Germany were paired to the first change in group E. "Germany is a power that with a change of coach, which is top, we already see that it has improved its numbers," warned Luis Enrique. "It's a beautiful match, a classic. Germany is a growing team, of very good level and the thrashing of the last confrontation was excessive, "added Luis Rubiales, president of the RFEF, remembering the indelible 6-0 that Spain endorsed to the Germans in La Cartuja in a Nations League match on November 17, 2020. "That precedent against Germany is more than exemplary to give us confidence," Luis Enrique pronounced with confidence.
They have not forgotten that match even in the German ranks. "I have bad memories of Spain, but that doesn't happen to us twice," said Manuel Neuer, Germany's goalkeeper and captain. "It will be exciting but we have big plans for this World Cup," agreed Hansi Flick, the mannschaft coach.
Apart from Germany, the red will also face Japan and Costa Rica or New Zealand in a group that does not seem easy to assess. "A more difficult draw can surprise you later in the championship. Nobody knows how the teams will arrive that month, what seems easy then can be difficult, "said the coach. "This group thing is very relative. You think you have a more difficult group and you pass, with another single you don't pass," Luis Rubiales added in the same line.
What was clear after the draw is that Spain is living a good football moment, as was evident in the last European Championship, and that the confidence in achieving something great reigns in the environment. "It has to give us confidence that we are seeded for what we have achieved lately. Competing against us is very complicated and it's going to be difficult to beat us. Anyone can beat us and we can beat any team," confirmed Luis Enrique. "We will respect our seal of play and compete with the desire to eat the world," rubiales said.
After the draw, in Las Rozas the work began to accumulate. On the one hand, it is time to start the exhaustive scouting of the rivals. On the other hand, at the organizational level Spain continues to pursue a venue that convinces it to establish its base camp during the World Cup, which it is about to achieve despite the tough competition: there are 32 teams and Qatar does not give much of itself in this regard. It should be remembered that he has the obligation to land in Doha five days before his debut.
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