Gayà: «We have to forget about the World Cup, we are playing for a Final Four»

The Spanish team returns to the forefront of the news with two months to go before the World Cup in Qatar. The proximity of the great planetary event is monopolizing the spotlights, but Luis Enrique grants all the protagonism, for the moment, to the last two commitments of La Roja in the League of Nations, this Saturday against Switzerland at the La Romareda Stadium and the next Tuesday against Portugal at the Municipal de Braga. This was emphasized by José Luis Gayà. «It is the last call before the World Cup, but the coach has told us to forget about it because this competition is very important, we are playing for a Final Four. We have to forget about the World Cup and prepare for these two games in the best possible way,” said the left-back.

The Valencia captain returns to a call-up for the national team after missing the first four games of this edition of the League of Nations, as well as the two previous friendlies that the Spanish team played in March against Albania and Iceland. In fact, Gayà had not donned the Spain jacket since November, when he played the 90 minutes of the penultimate duel in the qualifying phase for the World Cup in Qatar, which measured Luis Enrique’s block against Greece, and was left without participating in the decisive clash against Sweden.

The one from Pedreguer was grateful to the coach for the call, especially considering that he could not be in the first four league games due to suspension. «The fact of him not being able to be in the first four games had that doubt. I knew that when I came back I had to do my best. The coach has given me the confidence to be here and I am grateful. I know that it is a position in which there is a lot of competition, but I try to give everything and I am calm », he stated at a press conference.

Gayà is at stake a lot in these two stakes. The competition on the left side, where Jordi Alba and Marcos Alonso fight hard with the Valencian, is maximum, but the Levantine only thinks about doing everything possible to earn a place on the plane to Qatar. «I know that there is a lot of competition, but I am calm because whenever I have come I have given everything. I know that I cannot relax, that I always have to give my best. Very grateful to the coach, “said the defender.

“Jordi Alba is an exemplary captain”

He praised Jordi Alba, with whom he is very close despite being rivals for a place in eleven. «I get along very well with Jordi. It is a relationship that we have had for a long time and I look forward to it, as always. He is an exemplary captain here in the national team and I am very happy to share that position with him in this training camp. The coach’s confidence is there but whenever we come we have to prove it to him, give the best level so that he calls you back, “said the Valencia captain.

It affected the methodical character of Luis Enrique when preparing the appointments against Switzerland and Portugal. «The coach likes to have everything very clear on the field, to know what we have to do in attack and defense. They are two different selections. Each one is going to play us in a different way and we have to be prepared”, said Gayà, who finally highlighted the good mix of veterans and newcomers in the national team. “We are a very young team, but there are also veteran people, people with desire and experienced people. That is the key », he closed.