Luis Enrique spoke live on his Twitch channel from Qatar on Friday night.
On José Luis Gayà missing the World Cup
“It’s been a tough day. This is the hardest thing about being a coach.”
On Alejandro Balde
“He’s very young, 19 years old, but with interesting first-team experience.”
Favourites for World Cup?
“Brazil, Argentina and from there the usual: France, who are the champions, Germany, Spain, England and dare I say the Netherlands as a surprise. Belgium are always there.”
On playing with a striker
“We play with a 9. Let’s see whether Morata plays or Asensio plays. They always receive the ball a lot between the centre-backs and pivots. It’s just that each player has their own strengths. We believe a lot in synergies, in bringing together players who complement each other, with the ability to interact.”
Who is the joker in the national team?
“Pedri has a lot of fun. He has a way about him. Jordi Alba is always joking around, he’s an affectionate guy. Ferran is also a bit of a joker, and Gavi also gets in on the act a lot. It’s an exceptional group. Busi is the one who controls them all.”
GSFN
