Spain | VS
| Liechtenstein |
| Date/Time: | Sep 6, 2011, 8:00 pm(GMT) |
| Competition: | UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying |
| Live/Repeat: | Live |
| Venue: | Estadio Nuevo Municipal Las Gaunas (Logroño) |
Spain’s team spirit not under the influence of Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalries
Spain have lost the first spot to the Netherlands in the FIFA World Rankings, and fans now fear that Clasico issues won’t tarnish the squad’s progress at the international level.
The atmosphere is great between Spain's players according to reports, regardless of tensions between Barcelona and Real Madrid
As he reflected on what happened, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola expressed his concerns over the tensions between his team and Real Madrid. Spain’s key player Xavi blasted the behavior of Los Blancos whereas Sergio Ramos went in defense of his manager, Jose Mourinho.
Eventually, the team spirit factor of Spain’s national football team became an issue. However, players insist that professionalism will keep the squad from reacting under the influence of the heated Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalry. Sergio Busquets told Marca in the build up to the Spain vs Chile friendly match:
“Things like this [brawls between Real Madrid and Barcelona] always happen in football, but we want the best for the national team. There will always be a good atmosphere. There are no problems.”
Sergio Ramos confirmed Busquets’ statement by declaring:
“There are good vibes and we hope to continue with the good atmosphere in the team.”
Juan Mata was also quoted as saying by Spanish news source Marca:
“We are all here for the same reason and we play for the national team, the clubs are not important when we are together.”
Echoing the players’ words, Vicente del Bosque stated at a press conference on Thursday:
“I have not seen anything out of the ordinary in the camp. The foundation of our success is the good relationships that exist in the group.”
