Macedonia Coach Bosko Gjurovski has said his side aren’t coming to Spain with the intention of sitting back and defending.
La Roja tonight host the Red Lions in the first round of qualifying for Euro 2016 with the game to be played at Levante’s Ciutat de Valencia.
Gjurovski told a pre-match Press conference that he has a great deal of admiration for Spain and his counterpart Vicente Del Bosque and sees similarities between the teams.
But, he warned, Macedonia won’t be content playing for a goalless draw as that isn’t the team’s mindset.
“First of all, my gratitude to the Spain side for what they have contributed to the game in general in the past few years,” AS reports Gjurovski as saying.
“For us this game will be a big test. Del Bosque is creating a new team with very young players. We’re the same: creating a new team with young players.
“We come to show our game, not only to defend. We want to attack the Spain goal.
“Playing Spain is not going to be easy – on the contrary, it will be difficult, but our philosophy is to go forward and keep improving.
“No doubt Spain will start to attack. That will be their strategy and we have to halt their attacks.
“We can play with three or four defenders. Jose Mourinho sometimes plays with six plus two coming back.
“How my players respond will depend on the team. What is clear is that we must be very tight in defence if we want to have options in the game.”
Gjurovski was asked for his thoughts on the standard of the Spain team and who he feels Del Bosque should use in goal, Iker Casillas or David De Gea.
“I’m not afraid of either goalkeeper. Once they’re out there I can’t do anything. I care more about my players. Every Coach watching has an opinion,” he replied.
“The best teams still have a weakness. It’s better to have a secret. They are changing players and a lot of them are younger.
“But we have a lot of respect for them because they are players with a lot of quality.”
