FRANCE 98 – Spain – Clemente: “I still have total confidence in Zubizaretta”
Javier CLEMENTE, coach for the SPAIN team (Group D) :
During the morning debriefing in Chantilly, the Spanish coach Javier CLEMENTE spoke with his players at length following their defeat Saturday 13 June at NANTES against NIGERIA (Group D). His intention was, no doubt, to bolster up his team and to show them all the confidence he has in them, as he had stated to journalists following training:
“I can’t find fault with my team. The players did exactly as they had been told and gave their all on the pitch. Until the 72nd minute I felt like we were in control of the situation and it was only afterward that the score was tied, as we all know. That is what football is all about. We need to accept that and start thinking about our next opponents, PARAGUAY and BULGARIA. I still have full confidence in Andoni ZUBIZARRETA; he is a true professional.”
Of course, the Basque goalkeeper was very sought after. When asked the question: “Did the criticism of your performance yesterday keep you awake last night?”, ZUBIZARRETA answered:
“At my age and with my competitive experience, I don’t let critics keep me from sleeping. At this point, I’m quite capable of analysing my mistakes myself. Of course, I regret that costly error, but believe me, it’s not over yet and you haven’t seen the last of us.”