Euro 2020 Quarter Final Preview, Spain Vs Switzerland: Luis Enrique Segani
JAKARTA - The coach of the Spanish national team Luis Enrique respects Switzerland's cohesive appearance ahead of the meeting of the two teams in the Euro 2020 quarter-final match in Saint Petersburg, Friday night.
According to Enrique, although there are only a few famous players in the Swiss squad, he sees his opponent as one of the most cohesive and hard-working teams throughout Euro 2020.
The latest evidence is that Switzerland were able to hold on to a 3-3 draw with France before eliminating the world champions in the last 16 to advance to the quarter-finals of the Euros for the first time.
️ @LUISENRIQUE21: “No hay que martirizarse ni flagelarse. Lo que importa no es un error, si no lo que haces después. Y eso es lo que ha hecho Unai Simón".➡️ "En el fútbol, como en el tennis, la memoria de pez funciona. Sobresaliente para Unai".#SomosEspaña #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/ftY271UuLS
— Selección Española de Fútbol (@SeFutbol) July 1, 2021
"They will be difficult opponents for us, they may not have many big-name players that the fans know but as a team they are one of the most solid in this tournament," said Enrique.
"They are at the same level as us, that's clear, with the way they control and attack. They also have a great coach in Vladimir Petkovic and will cause us a lot of problems," he added.
¡¡ENTRENAMIENTO OFICIAL CON EL MEJOR NIMO!!💪🏻 ltima serión en el estadio Petrovsky de San Petersburgo con la mirada puesta en el día de mañana.⏱️ En menos de 24 horas disputamos los cuartos de final de esta #EURO.2020 ante Suiza.2020 ante Suiza.2020 Hay ferocious de partido?#SomosEspaña pic.twitter.com/BbB1jRbZnQ
— Selección Española de Fútbol (@SeFutbol) July 1, 2021
Enrique has experienced Switzerland's cohesion for himself when Spain twice faced them in the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League.
Winning 1-0 in the first match in Madrid, Spain had to struggle to achieve a 1-1 draw in the second meeting thanks to Gerard Moreno's late goal, and even then after Switzerland had to finish the match with only 10 players.
"We were superior against them in Madrid even though the score didn't reflect that and Switzerland only created one chance throughout the game," he said.
But both games were very tough, because they controlled into your own defence, ran tirelessly, and I think that will happen again tomorrow.
️ Pregunta: Ha visto alguna selección mejor que la suya durante la #EURO2020?🗣️ @LUISENRIQUE21, responde.#SomosEspaña pic.twitter.com/9RJhO1pnk3
— Selección Española de Fútbol (@SeFutbol) July 1, 2021
"In this tournament, they give a full picture of their ability as a team that is hard to beat and can go as far as we can," said Enrique complete.
Despite Spain's outstanding performance compared to Switzerland by winning Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, the Matadors also just found a comeback after beating Croatia 5-3 in extra time which was their first win in the knockout stages of a prestigious tournament since winning Euro 2012. .
Like Switzerland, Spain also had to play 120 minutes to win but Enrique admits he is not worried about the fitness of his players.
"The physical impact won't matter, we have great fitness coaches and the data that comes out is incredible," he said.
"The mental factor is even more important because if you believe in what you are doing and have good thoughts, you can perform brilliantly on the pitch. I think our physical condition is in the best condition," concluded Enrique.
If able to reduce the shock of Switzerland and stepped into the semifinals, Spain will meet Belgium or Italy.