De la Fuente: My Opinion on Kroos, and the Match Will Be Even
Spanish national team coach Luis de la Fuente spoke at a press conference about the upcoming match against Germany on Friday evening in the quarter-finals of the European Championship.
The Spanish coach said, "It will be an even match. It could have been the final of the European Championship, and it will be a balanced match in terms of football. Germany always starts games really strong, so obviously, we will try to stop that, and we will try to take the initiative and give everything we've got from the first minute."
He added, "Of course, I talked a lot with Olmo and Grimaldo, who have experience in German football. They always tell us about certain aspects of German football. But we know their national team well, and all our players are ready. There might be one or two changes, but the game plan will be the same."
He continued, "We always think about doing our job. We can't think about Germany failing to do theirs. We will try to minimize their strengths and exploit their weaknesses. We have similar characteristics, we are fully committed and ready to go there and try to win. We feel a great responsibility and are very focused."
He said, "Toni Kroos is a world-class player. One day, these players retire from football, but football never leaves them. He brought a lot of talent, control, and charisma. When footballers have this type of player next to them, it’s contagious. It’s unfortunate that he retired; I would love to continue watching him play."
He added, "Will the winner tomorrow be a favorite to win the title? There are other strong teams in other matchups. The closer you get to the final, only the best remain. Nothing is free here; in football, the best team doesn't always qualify. I don't know if the winners are the favorites to win the title, but we see ourselves as a very strong team with the ability to fight for it."
He concluded, "I wouldn't trade my players for anyone in the world. For me, my players are the best in the world."
