Former Spanish defensive midfielder Xabi Alonso commented on the game of the national team.
"The head coach of the Spanish national team, Julien Lopetega, has well-understood ideas. He is able to convey what he wants to players in a very accessible form, and this is very important. Without this, probably, it is impossible to achieve the set goals. And in this respect, the current team was lucky, "- quotes Alonso official website of FIFA.
"The foundation has remained the same: the idea is to focus on playing the first number, controlling the situation on the field, playing in the most collective, not straightforward football ... Yes, I see it quite clearly. The team under the leadership of Lopetegi is focused on traditional values ??for Spanish football: clever football, the ability to read the game, high technique. This is the root of our difference from other teams ".
"There are also tactical nuances and flexibility that you have to resort to in some matches, because football is constantly complicated and every time you need to be able to adapt. Although the challenge is to own the initiative, sometimes the situation requires playing differently and giving the initiative to the opponent ".
"The spirit of collectivism and the feeling of unity, when everyone is striving for a common and very large goal - extremely important things. We need very good relationships within the team, otherwise frictions are inevitable. But personally, I got the impression that the current team has everything in order. In addition, a very good fusion of veterans who have a glorious past and are in excellent shape, with an ambitious and greedy youth ".
"The list of 23? It has players who know how to establish interaction between the lines, there are those who know how to beat the opponent, and those who masterfully use free zones - for example, Diego Costa and Marco Asensio. So there is someone to create threats ... I think the current team has a richer game palette than in my time. We then needed a lot more effort to get the ball into someone else's penalty area and create a rival problem ".
"Let me assume that at the first stage of the tournament, Spain will have to take the initiative, including a match with Portugal, which, I think, will choose expectant tactics.
However, sometimes during the meeting, you may need to play in a different way, and then the presence in the team of performers who have other functions can be crucial ".
Xabi Alonso won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012.
The Spanish team will play in the group at the 2018 World Cup with Portugal (June 15), Iran (June 20) and Morocco (June 25).
Do you want to learn the main football news first? Subscribe to our channel in Telegram! You can also follow our website in Viber and Twitter.