Euro 2020: Possession will be first battle against Italy in semi-final, says Spain coach Luis Enrique

Spain coach Luis Enrique said that his team are more comfortable with the ball at their feet and the Euro 2020 semi-final against Italy could hinge on who dominates possession. Spain broke a tournament record for possession in their opening game against Sweden but had little to show for it as the game finished 0-0.

“That’s one of the first questions to settle. We are leaders in ball possession but they can also make use of it and enjoy the ball, that’ll be the first battle we need to conquer,” Luis Enrique told a news conference on Monday.

“They can adapt to not having the ball, they’ve done that in the tournament in certain stages, but they’re more comfortable with the ball and stronger with it.

“Our objective is clear, we want the ball, we need it, if we have to do something different we will adapt but we prefer to have possession of the ball.”

The current Spain coach was a member of the national team that was beaten by Italy 1-0 in the 1994 World Cup quarterfinals. As famous as the 88th-minute winning goal by Roberto Baggio was the elbow to Luis Enrique’s face administered by Italy’s hard man in defense, Mauro Tassotti.

The coach laughed when the infamous moment was raised but said he had moved on from it.

“It’s been so many years, and my nose is all the better for it. I’ve spoken to Tassotti since and he’s an honest, good guy. It’s formed part of our history, although I’m sure both of us would have preferred that moment to go differently,” he said.

“I have a great memory of my time in Italy and the people so it’s not relevant. This a great semi-final game where Spain and Italy have the chance to reach the final and the rest is just history.”

Forward Pablo Sarabia is Spain’s only absentee while Italy are likely to bring in Emerson at left-back for Leonardo Spinazzola, who tore his Achilles tendon in the quarter-final win over Belgium.

There will be few Italian or Spanish supporters at the match at Wembley due to England’s coronavirus restrictions on visitors. Luis Enrique conceded it would be “strange” to have so few fans from the two teams in the crowd but said he would not “waste energy on things I can’t control”.