Llorente: It’s hard to avoid what happened with Yamal. In the final analysis, the players are overloaded
6686 Sports News on November 13 Previously, Atletico Madrid defender Marcos Llorente was selected for the current Spanish team roster. In an interview with EFE, he talked about topics related to the Spanish team.
Returning to the national team after a long time, have you ever given up on your expectations?
As a Spaniard, playing for a wealthy club and performing well, you always expect to be called up by the national team. The last selection really surprised me, because I haven't been in the national team for a long time and have already faded out of this group. But I feel very comfortable being able to participate in the last training camp and now being selected again. It’s important to me to be selected back-to-back and enjoy the experience.
Recently you have said that you are just as happy when you are selected for the national team as when you were not selected
The two things are not related at all. My happiness does not depend on whether I am selected for the national team. I have a very good life and am happy in its own right. Even if I don't get called up one day, I won't be more sad that I didn't make the national team that week. It’s not that being selected for the national team doesn’t make me excited or proud, but I am a happy person. Whether selected or not, this happiness will not change. Those who understand me naturally understand, and I don’t care about those who don’t.
Do you think you have a chance to be selected for the World Cup squad?
Being selected for the training team twice in a row means that I have a chance. But football is fickle, and the World Cup is still months away, and players may emerge at any time. If I didn't have the opportunity, I wouldn't be here. As for the final result, Xia Tian knows it.
Which coach are you most grateful for?
I am very grateful to Solari and Simeone, both of whom have had a great influence on me. I can learn something positive from every coach, but I learned so much from both of them.
Simeone has made me improve in all aspects. I had to adapt to positions that were not mine originally, which made me become more intelligent on the playing field. I'm grateful to him because I experienced a lot of great moments with him, the best moments of my football career. And Solari, he gave me a chance that no one else gave me, to play in Real Madrid, and he chose to believe in me when no one thought highly of me.
What do you think of Yamal-related incidents during the national team training camp?
This is a matter between the Spanish Football Federation and Yamal. This situation inevitably happens in football circles. In the final analysis, the player load is too great, the club considers its own interests, and the Football Association also has its own plan. It is understandable that there are differences. After all, everyone wants to get the best results for themselves, and Yamal is a very important player.
Players are caught in the middle and have become victims of an increasingly dense schedule. How to solve this situation?
I don’t know. Obviously, with too much competition and too much travel, the body has its limits. But as Rayo Vallecano coach Inigo Perez said, those who don’t want to play can withdraw. This is very difficult. There are too many competitions, too many, but we still have to continue to work hard to minimize the impact of these factors and stay strong. This is the reality. People who don't want to stick around can leave, and obviously we have to fight, but we've been doing this for years and nothing has changed.
Has Yamal been affected?
I didn’t have time to talk to him, and I can imagine this situation must have made him uncomfortable. As a young player, he just wants to play well. Hopefully he won't have to face this kind of trouble again and everything will return to normal. But I think that in such a difficult time, he and his family will support each other.
Is Atletico Madrid confident that it will further compete for the championship this year?
Of course I have confidence. The key to winning the championship is to win the game and consolidate the home team's field advantage. These are indispensable foundations. Without them, it is impossible to compete for the championship. To finally win the championship, we have to improve the performance of the away team. Over the years, we have been very strong at home, but last season and even at the beginning of this season, it was difficult for away teams to score points.
The Spanish team has basically locked in qualifications for the World Cup, and the football world generally regards the team as the favorite to win the World Cup
This is the current situation. We have won many competitions in these years and our performance has always been very good. It is normal to be regarded as the favorite. Now we have to focus on the next two key games and ensure we get tickets to the World Cup. This is the most important thing at the moment. We haven't started thinking about winning the championship yet.
