“It is the hour of Spain”

Two days before the quarterfinal match against Paraguay, it was the turn of Carles Puyol. The Catalan central bravo transmitted via AS a optimistic message to the fans, but lowering the euphoria. “Would be A big mistake think it will be something easy the party before Paraguay. It will be a similar match to that of Switzerland, “said the Barça defender to show the difficulty of the rival.

Puyol did not shy away none of the open discussions around to the Selection and he assured that he understood them: “It is part of football. Here are one hundred special envoys who follow and are with the Selection and everyone has an opinion. You have to respect it because this is also part of football. “And in the double pivot debate, he defended Busquets: “I do not understand that he is doubted. He is one of the most important players in the Selection. It is not normal that at his age he plays so well. “

Puyi emphasized lower the euphoria: “We are closer to the goal, but remains the most difficult. It would be a serious mistake to think that it will be easy. ” recognized what was its time: “This is a young generation and has a journey. But you never know because it depends on the state of form of the players. In the final phase if you have a bad day, as happened in Germany 2006 against France, you leave because you face big teams. We must take advantage of this opportunity because we do not know if it will return. It is the hour of Spain. We want to give one joy to all the fans of La Roja, a greater joy than that of the Eurocup “.

Meanwhile, the Paraguayans they were nails with the appointment of the referee Guatemalan Carlos Batres for his match with Spain. Had outrage between former soccer players and journalists Paraguayans accredited in the World Cup. Batres had never directed La Roja, but in Paraguay did not forget his elimination in the round of 16 World Cup 2002 against Germany. They lost 1-0 and they claimed two penalties that he did not grant them. In the final line expelled Roberto Acuña.

The exporter José Luis Chilavert, who played that game, has no doubts: “Paraguay is going to play against Spain and against the referee.” Chilavert remembered that party with the Germans and like Batres “he whistled many fouls near our area and those of Germany in the center of the field and he ate two penalties. His conscience, like mine, will not have forgotten that, it is a shame that FIFA will give it back to us. “For Paraguayans it was as if Spain they would have appointed Al-Ghandour.

In Paraguay propaganda also started and the newspaper Chronicle he called the Spaniards racist on the cover by some comments on a website. And at the Paraguayan headquarters, they prevented entry and did not give interviews to the Spanish special envoys. The swords were on high. But, as Puyol said in that interview, it was “Spain time”.