Fernando Santos: “It was a positive game for both of us”

The Portuguese soccer coach, Fernando Santos, considered “good and positive” for his team and for Spain the friendly they played this Friday at the Wanda Metropolitano prior to the Eurocup, but also made it clear that they have “quality to do better” because they were dominated especially at the beginning and end Of each time.

“It was a good and positive game for both teams, but I wish we had done other different things because we have the quality to do better. I believe and trust that we can transform technical and individual quality into collective quality “, expressed Fernando Santos at a press conference.

The coach recalled that Spain “has a very clear school” and that he had “more possession and shot more times.” “In the first 20 minutes we had a lot of difficulty, but then we have been improving and finding solutions, and we have been able to generate more problems and run more. Then they equalized and in the last 15-10 minutes Spain found more rhythm again”, stressed.

“This game has served for what we wanted, but we wanted to do it better and it also helps us to rectify the aspects that I think need to be improved”, added Santos, who clarified that more problems happened because “if you do not have possession, it is normal that the rival creates more problems for you” and that they could also have “created three or four good situations.”

The Portuguese coach spoke of the Valencian player Gonzalo Guedes, who could not play due to the coronavirus and whom he hopes can be in the Eurocup. “We think so. He passed two antigen tests that came back negative, but the latest PCR has been inconclusive,” he reported.

“We have to face the Eurocup with the same attitude and the same mentality as in 2016, 2018 and 2019. We assume that we are candidates for victory, knowing that we have another seven or eight teams ahead of us, and today we have faced one of the best such as Spain, “he said.

Finally, Santos referred to the joint candidacy of Spain and Portugal to host the 2030 World Cup. “It is something important and both countries are enthusiastic about this idea because Portugal and Spain at the football level represent the best in the world of football and they are two wonderful countries and they love football. We have everything so that the 2030 World Cup is in these two countries, “he remarked.