Ahead of Spain’s friendly against England at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday, Spanish head coach Julen Lopetegui has said he likes many aspects of the English game to the Spanish game but insisted that the Spanish are still better players and have a better style of play.
Lopetegui praised Spanish footballers ahead of the crunch encounter but said that the English fans, atmosphere and the marketing of the game in England are on a higher level.
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The Spanish manager, though, said that the standard of play and technical ability of the English players is a level lower than that of the Spaniards.
“I like a lot of things: the fans, the stadiums. I prefer the atmosphere to the play," said Lopetegui in a press conference ahead of the friendly at Wembley. “That’s not to say I prefer theirs to ours,” stressed the 50-year old, “I like ours more,” said Lopetegui.
Lopetegui has enjoyed a decent run as Spain’s manager, with impressive wins in their recent qualifying matches.
The interim England boss Gareth Southgate has received high praise and tipped as the right candidate for the vacant England manager’s post. Spain boss Lopetegui believes Southgate has done a splendid job in his time as the head coach, making the Three Lions defensively more solid and said that he deserves the post.
“He’s improved various things, especially in defensive solidness,” said Lopetegui heaping praise on the manager.
England go into the friendly against Spain without captain Wayne Rooney and striker Harry Kane who both withdrew from the squad after sustaining knocks.
Spain, on the other hand, will be without Andres Iniesta for the friendly as the captain is out with injury. Lopetegui has recalled Juan Mata to the national side after the Spaniard’s good run of form for United, becoming an essential fixture in Jose Mourinho’s starting eleven at Old Trafford.
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The new Spanish manager, who took over from Vicente del Bosque after the Euro’s in France, has also given another Manchester United play, Ander Herrera, his first international call-up although he didn’t feature in the game.
Herrera is yet to make an appearance for the Spanish team but given his superb displays for United Lopetegui might give the former Bilbao midfielder his official national team debut against England at Wembley Stadium.
Gareth Southgate pits his wits against Julen Lopetegui as England welcome Spain to the Wembley Stadium tonight.
