Torres: Spain want to win it all

Fernando Torres believes that Spain should be targeting winning both the Confederations Cup in 2013 and the World Cup the following year.

La Roja have won the last three tournaments they have played and will go to Brazil 2014 as the World Cup’s defending champions.

Torres was asked if the team have what it takes to make it four major tournaments in a row and in responding positively, also drew attention to the ambition for the Confederations Cup.

“Why not! We have won three in a row. Hopefully we can win the Confederations Cup this summer before the World Cup because Spain has never won the Confederations Cup, so it would be the first time in Spanish history as well,” commented the striker in an interview with FIFA’s official website.

“Afterwards obviously the target is Brazil 2014 – we will go there and try to win the World Cup against Brazil in their own country.

“That should be the most important day for Spain. Right now, there’s too many things to play first, there’s a long way to Brazil and very difficult to be there with the quality of the players we have now in Spain.”

Spain have been drawn against Uruguay, Tahiti and the as-yet-undetermined 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winners in next summer’s Confederations Cup.

“Trophies like that maybe you only have the chance to play once in your life. We went in South Africa and we lost against USA in the semi-final.

“You always want to be there because if you want to play in this tournament you have to win the World Cup or EURO. Maybe for me and players of my generation it’s the last Confederations Cup we can play.

“Hopefully we can win it. Maybe for people it’s not one of the more important but we don’t play it every season so that’s why we need to be there.

“Just like the Club World Cup in Japan, who knows if we [Chelsea] are going to be there again so we need to take this one.”

Torres was asked to assess why the passing and possession-based style of play Spain play has dominated teams so much in recent years.

“If you want to play this style, you need to have the players. Many teams try to do more or less the same but there is no chance, because you need these players.

“If you have Xavi [Hernandez], [Andres] Iniesta, [David] Silva, [Juan] Mata, Cesc [Fabregas], [Santi] Cazorla and many more – you can do it. Barcelona with [Lionel] Messi and Alexis [Sanchez] – you can do it.

“But if you don’t have these kinds of players it’s very difficult. In Spain, sometimes we have more than 80 per cent possession and they cannot lose the ball, it’s almost impossible.

“When you don’t have the ball you have to defend and that is not one of the strengths of a team that tries to keep the ball. I think you need to adapt and play the best way for the players you have. Spain and Barcelona are exceptions.”

Tags 2014 World Cup Confederations Cup Spain Torres
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