logo
Fri 02 December 2022 | 9:26

Enrique: We were out? If I'd realised, I'd probably have had a heart attack

Spain qualified for the last-16 stage of the World Cup as runners-up in Group E following a shock defeat against Japan.

Japan

came back from behind to beat

Spain

2-1 on Thursday and qualified as Group winners with six points. Spain also qualified with four points due to a better goal difference than Germany.

Spain was in third place for a few moments in the second half when Costa Rica was up against Germany but in the end, they lost 4-2.

After the game, Luis Enrique admitted he would have had a heart attack if he knew his team was heading out of the

World Cup.

"We were knocked out for three minutes? Why do you say this? I was not paying attention,"

Luis Enrique said.

"When did that happen?

"Okay, fantastic. I didn't know this. Why? Because I was paying attention to my match. If I'd have found out, I'd have had a heart-attack."

Spain now faces Morocco in the last 16 and potentially Portugal in the quarter-finals. If Spain had finished at top of the Group E, they would face Croatia next and potentially Brazil in the quarter-finals but Enrique insisted there is no reason to celebrate.

"In football there are no good or bad sides,"

he added.

"In football you deserve or not and today I'm not happy at all.

"Yes, we qualified, I'd have liked to be top by winning this game, but this was not possible because in five minutes they got two goals, and in 10 minutes we were completely out.

"We were dismantled. We tried to close the game, but it wasn't possible. But we didn't have any danger in the first half, then in the second… I told them in half-time [Japan] will push us, they had nothing to lose.

"We didn't have good game management, we collapsed. I'm not happy, I never celebrate defeats.

"I have nothing to celebrate. Of course, the bracket changes and many things are different, but I have nothing to celebrate."

Enrique also was asked about Japan’s controversial second goal. The ball appeared as if it could have gone out in the build-up to the goal but it was allowed to stand after a lengthy VAR check.

"I saw the images, they must be wrong or fabricated,"

he said.

"I saw an image and said that can't be true.

"I have nothing else to say. I have full respect. I knew something going on as VAR took so long."


source: SportMob



DISCLAIMER! Sportmob does not claim ownership of any of the pictures posted on this website. Again, we do not host pictures or videos ourselves. Our authors merely link to the rightful owner. Lastly, Sportmob have carefully considered and reviewed all of its content. Despite that, it is possible that some information might be out-dated or incomplete.