“I see Argentina and Brazil well above the rest”
MADRID, 11 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish soccer coach, Luis Enrique Martínez, has assured that the FC Barcelona midfielder Gavi “has much to improve on and off the pitch”, as well as being convinced that his group can “fight against any rival”, although he sees Argentina and Brazil “well above the rest” ahead of the World Cup.
“Gavi still has a lot to improve on and off the pitch,” he stated emphatically at the press conference prior to the League of Nations match against the Czech Republic, in which he did not want to compare him with his teammate Sergio Busquets. “I am not going to compare any player with anyone else, because in any comparison with ‘Busi’ they are going to lose out, and even more so if he is someone so young,” he added.
However, later he did not want to clarify his sentence about the culé midfielder. “It’s a broad spectrum so that everyone can draw what they consider appropriate. It’s like a class exercise, make a text comment. It’s a good phrase that will come in handy for everyone, those outside and those inside”, he claimed.
The Asturian coach also downplayed the two draws of his team at the start of the League of Nations. “Look at the results of the other groups in League A… Nobody talks about it, nobody cares. What matters is generating doubts about the team. If someone wants us to win every game 15-0 and sweep it, He doesn’t know what modern football is. There is no one who wins easily, we are not different. Now, we are a great team that will generate options to fight against any rival, you are seeing it, “he said.
In spite of everything, he did not want to rate ‘La Roja’. “It’s not that he was a great student, so I’m not good at giving grades. You already give them,” he joked, before being very clear about who he sees as favorites for the World Cup in Qatar. “I see Argentina above the rest, and Brazil as well. Far above the rest,” he said.
In addition, he again warned about the dangers of his rival this Sunday, against whom they tied in Prague. “The Czech Republic was a ‘top’ team at a defensive level, also because of the density and the number of players who occupied the edge of the area, they closed down spaces for us, they generated high pressure situations… We have to improve our defensive aspect every time we lose the ball and be more effective. We generate quite a few scoring chances, two goals… Our goal is to generate more scoring chances. I hope that the pace of the game is higher, that the heat can take its toll and that the fans take us on wings,” he said.
Regarding the azulgrana Ansu Fati, the Spanish coach did not say if he will have minutes in this call. “Answers the question of having called him after not having played any game as a starter for his club. I announced Ansu Fati on the list to recover the player’s motivation, so that he enters the dynamics of the national team. I wanted to see Ansu train again with the national team and seeing his level. After seeing his level, I am optimistic and I am convinced that he is very well. He is recovered, the injury is already part of the past, but from there to being at the level to compete with us, I don’t I have seen so far,” he stressed.
Despite that, he believes that “he has been improving in training.” “Are you ready to play tomorrow? Yes. Could you play as a starter? Yes. Could you be a substitute? Yes. Could you not play? Also. That is already positive, it is within the dynamic and I have seen it with confidence. No I have no doubt that Ansu will return to his level, he is a unique player in his relationship with goalscoring. We were among the first to bring him to the national team, but with youngsters there is no need to be in a hurry. Ansu is coming off a very difficult year, overcome already, but it is necessary to be in the necessary rhythms of what I consider that it is better for the player”, he continued.
Nor did he advance if Iñigo Martínez will be available to play. “I am not going to take any risk with any player from the national team. My intention, and I pass it on to them, is not to take any risk, and if anything has ever happened, it has been at the player’s wish. Iñigo Martínez received a stomp yesterday in training and today his finger is quite swollen. Tomorrow we will see, he will try in the warm-up”, he clarified.
About the goal, Luis Enrique reiterated that all the goalkeepers “are starters”, although until now only Unai Simón has played. “I have three regular goalkeepers. Until today, Unai Simón has played all three games. I want all three of them thinking that they can participate, because it is possible that at some point they can participate. I am delighted, I see them train and I think I could anyone can play. My decision right now is this,” he said.
Finally, he did not want to anticipate if there will be changes against the Czech team. “I love everything I’ve seen, everything I’m seeing every day in every training session. It’s the way I manage the effort of my players, the minutes needed and the best way I consider, as a coach, to face the last game of the season,” he concluded.
