Molina in Gazzetta: “Greece always defends itself with us”
The Gazzetta was at the hotel that hosted the Spanish national team and asked for it with its technical director, Jose Molina. Tonight’s match against Greece, the possible failure of “fouria rocha” and the cancer he faced, in the biggest victory of his life.
Interview with Vassilis Tempelis, Dimitris Samolis
Spain is facing a “final”. Tonight (11/11, 21.45, Cosmote Sport 1, OPEN) will face Greece at the Olympic Stadium and two games before the end of the group is at -2 by the champion Sweden, with which it will face in the 10th game. As the Iberians do not qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, the pressure is great and all possibilities at this stage are open, the Gazzetta was at the hotel that hosted the “fouria rocha” mission and met the technical director of the Spanish Football Federation, José Francisco Molina.
From July 2018 in the specific post, succeeding him Fernando Sanctuary, renewed until 2023 and now he feels the weight of a possible failure to qualify for his tournament Qatar. Her former goalkeeper Atletico and her Deportivo La Coruna talked about Our national team which “always defends itself against it SpainAnd argued that “if we are not at 100%, I have no doubt that the Hellas it will cause us problems “.
The 51-year-old Spaniard spoke about his future Luis Enrique on the counter of “fouria rocha”, in the event of failure and exclusion from World Cup, while referring to the health problem he experienced when he was still a football player (testicular cancer) and which resulted in the biggest victory in his life.
Is it a final for the Spanish national team?
Well, it’s final in the context that we have to win. We have to win. Our goal is to get our goal directly for the World Cup in Qatar, to win the first place of the group. And that’s why we have to win, that’s the only result. And that is what we will try.
What is his decision for the National Team of Greece?
It created a lot of problems for us in Granada, it was very well organized in the defensive part. In our defense, it is true, it did not create many problems because we pushed it to stay close to its area. We could not break through this defensive quartet, it was well organized. He found the penalty and got the draw. We hope, here, to have a different scenario. That is, to try to attack and leave spaces.
Luis Enrique said that the National Team of Greece changed the system and is playing more aggressively. Do you think this will cause problems for your team?
We hope to make the game we like. That is, to try to have the ball, to attack, to dominate. When we do not have the ball, try to regain possession as soon as possible. Of course, if we are not at 100%, I have no doubt that Greece will create problems for us. He has a good team, good players and we will create a problem. But if we are focused and play our game, we are capable of winning.
In Greece there is a lot of pressure from the media. The same is true in Spain. Is there a possibility of failure and exclusion from the World Cup in the minds of your internationals?
When you enter the stadium, you do not think about it. When someone enters the field, he enters with a clear mind for what he is looking for and wants, with the motivation to win. He always has this in mind. The possibility of failure always exists. But at this level every footballer and coach knows how to work with this pressure. You can not be an elite footballer or coach and not be able to manage this pressure, with which they coexist on a collective and national level. If you can not manage, you can not be at this level.
There is no possibility of transfers in the national teams. If you could get a Greek footballer in the Spanish national team, who was it?
I do not know what to tell you. The Greeks play in the National Team of Greece, the Spaniards in the National Team of Spain. Everyone is defending their team. I see your National at the moment, as something single. Like ours. We have very good players, but our strength is the group, the team. There are units, but power is the whole. This is also true for Greece.
You said before that when you enter the stadium, you do not think of failing. It would be a failure for the Spanish national team, is not it in the World Cup?
We are not thinking about this scenario, it is not in our plans at the moment, that is, it is not Spain in the World Cup. We want to take first place and go to the World Cup directly. If we do not succeed, there is always the possibility of error, then we will have the playoffs. If we go there, we will do it with the same enthusiasm. It is not our goal in the playoffs, but it is our goal to be in the World Cup.