“That’s how much of a dickhead I am,” Luis Enrique said. Three days after Spain scored seven against Costa Rica, and on the eve of a game which – unless Costa Rica beat Japan – comes as an opportunity not just to secure an early place in the last 16 but also eliminate Germany, the head coach claimed he would rather manage failure than euphoria. The good news for Luis Enrique is that Hansi Flick’s team provide the perfect opponent to prevent his players from relaxing.
“You always hope for the best when you’re about to make your debut but maybe I didn’t expect such a version of us that was so, so strong,” he said about Spain’s demolition of Costa Rica. “It was a pleasure and you enjoy it so much when you see the team function like that. But I feel better managing problems [than success], that’s how much of a gilipollas [dickhead] I am.”
