DBasia.news – The 2014 World Cup saw the end of the era of Spanish football which had dominated for four years (2008-2012). In that period the Spanish national team won two European Cup trophies and one World Cup.
Spain were victorious as two giant LaLiga clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, were also on fire at that time. Especially Barcelona with their tiki taka philosophy which spread to the national team from the players who were called up.
However, there is always an end of an era and for Spain, that happened at the 2014 World Cup. La Furia Roja was devastated in the group stage and continued the reigning World Cup champion curse. It’s not easy for Spain to rise.
Since then, Spain has always had the status of a big country in the world from a football perspective, but not only as a champion. Now the task of reviving Spain is carried out by the 52-year-old coach, Luis Enrique.
The 2022 World Cup will be the second major tournament he will participate in as coach of Spain, after taking the national team to the semifinals of the 2020 European Cup. The owner of 62 caps with the Spanish national team had been coaching the national team since 2018.
However, he resigned a year later due to family matters. When Enrique went to Spain his relationship with his former assistant, Roberto Moreno, deteriorated and in the end Enrique returned to coach Spain.
Moreno was sacked over accusations of being disloyal to Enrique and wanting the job permanently. Under Moreno, Spain had also previously qualified for the 2020 European Cup qualification, topping the group standings and 10 unbeaten matches.
Luis Enrique is not afraid to go against the current
At Euro 2020 Luis Enrique made a controversial decision, including the Spanish squad without Real Madrid players in it. This raises debate especially in the past Enrique has also played and coached Madrid’s rival club, Barcelona.
Enrique also only summoned 24 players from a maximum of 26 players. His choice was debated, but Enrique was successful enough to lead Spain to the semifinals of Euro 2020 and lost on penalties to Italy.
Since then Spain reached the final of the UEFA Nations League (losing to France) and again reached the semifinals of the Nations League. Spain escaped safely from 2022 World Cup Qualification, finishing top of the table and winning six of eight games.
As a former player, Enrique has played as a midfielder for Madrid and Barcelona and participated in three World Cups and one European Cup during his 11 years as a regular player. Enrique retired in 2004, taking a break from football, before taking charge of Barcelona B (2008).
Enrique then honed his coaching skills at AS Roma and Celta Vigo, before returning to coach Barcelona in May 2014. There he achieved great success including a historic treble winner and left in 2017.
Spain was hit by coaching turbulence ahead of the 2018 World Cup. At that time Julen Lopetegui was fired because he agreed to train Real Madrid, he was fired before the tournament started and Fernando Hierro became interim coach.
Spain are in Group E of the 2022 World Cup along with Costa Rica, Germany and Japan.