Doha, 27 Nov (Xinhua) -- With a 7:0 victory over Costa Rica and a 1:1 draw with Germany, Spain is the only undefeated team in the "death group" of this World Cup.
On November 27, local time, Spanish players celebrated Morata's goal during the match. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lan Hongguang
Watching the "Bullfighting Legion" matches, there is a very intuitive feeling that their players can always run to the right position and have an accurate understanding and judgment of the space of the football field. This Spanish team, which is not a superstar, is like a sophisticated transmission machine. The way head coach Luis Enrique built this machine is special.
The Spanish team is based at the training ground of Qatar University, which is different from other teams. There is a scaffolding table on the side of the court, which was built at Enrique's request. It's a habit he's been making since 2013 and he likes to command training from a high place so he can see the position of his players better.
Enrique on scaffolding at the climbing training ground.
In preparation for the World Cup in Qatar, Enrique also has "new inventions". Since September, he has equipped his players with speakers in their training vests and used walkie-talkies himself. The Spanish team's training session became a unique sight - Enrique on the scaffolding platform, picked up the walkie-talkie and communicated with the players with loudspeakers.
Compared to standing on the sidelines and yelling in the past, Enrique believes that this way of communication is calmer and more efficient. "Although I'm not used to whispering at such a distance, I try not to be too loud. I don't talk when training is going on because I don't want the players to feel like I'm staring at them from behind. When the training stops, if I find a problem, I correct it in time. Enrique said.
Enrique uses a walkie-talkie in training.
This World Cup, the Spanish team also commute differently, and the players ride electric scooters from the hotel to the training ground. Of course, this was also Enrique's idea, which he said would save time on the road more than taking the team bus: "It's a simple, comfortable and enjoyable way to get around. ”
Spanish player Morata rides an electric scooter to training.
The Spanish players have long been familiar with the manager's whimsy. As Spain's head coach in 2018, Luis Enrique erected a huge electronic screen at the national team training base in Madrid to broadcast the players' training performances in real time, especially the false demonstrations. "We train on video longer than on the pitch." Enrique said.
Centre-back Eric Garcia, who has played for the world's top clubs such as Manchester City and Barcelona, believes that Spain has applied more new technology in training than the club. "Technology is constantly advancing and more and more applied to football, and these technologies are very effective."
Enrique, 52, has always been such a person who likes to try new things, saying: "I bought my first computer when I was 21 [in 1991]. My teammates told me, you don't even know how to open it. But I told him, don't worry, I'll learn. I've always loved things related to technology, and I was one of the first people to start using the internet and emailing. ”
In this World Cup, Enrique himself became the anchor, and every non-match night, he would be on time to communicate with Spanish fans online and answer various questions. "There is no advance arrangement, I hope to be able to tell you all the truth and help the team connect directly with everyone." Enrique told fans. On the opening day of the 18th, his live broadcast room flooded with nearly 150,000 fans.
Enrique answered questions from fans during the live broadcast.
Scaffolding, walkie-talkies, scooters, etc., are meant to allow players to train better and understand tactical intent more accurately. When the anchor does the live broadcast, it can allow fans and media to focus on themselves, reducing the attention and public opinion pressure of the players. Enrique is taking control of his team in a different and just right way.
Reaching the semi-finals of last year's European Championships, Luis Enrique led Spain to show the quality of a top team, and this time they clearly have more ambitious goals. Perhaps, they can really embark on a new path to success?
All images are from the official social media platform of the Spanish national team