Santi Cazorla has admitted that it would hurt for him to miss a second consecutive World Cup, not that it is a possibility he is contemplating.
Spain go into Tuesday evening’s 2014 World Cup qualifier needing a win to reclaim top spot from opponents France, or risk playing out the group stage for second spot and then facing the risks that the play-offs present.
“There’s a lot at stake for us. At this level, the demands are always enormous, so we’re well used to being under obligation to win games,” reflected Cazorla to FIFA’s official website today.
“I think that we played well against Finland. The only thing we didn't do was put away more of the chances we created. It’s water under the bridge now though.
“France are one of the strongest national teams in the world. They’ve got a young team with a lot of ability and every game against them is incredibly difficult.
“The match in Paris will be no exception, but we’ll be going out to try and win and hope to do just that.
“I’ve not even thought about failing to qualify for the World Cup, because I’ve got total faith in the great team we have.
“I don’t want to miss out on the World Cup again. And particularly not in a country like Brazil, which lives football so intensely.
“If we want to finish top of the group, we can’t afford to slip up.”
Cazorla left Malaga for Arsenal last summer.
“It’s a really great experience which I’m finding fascinating. I’ve settled quickly and I’ve had a lot of help from my teammates and others. The fans here are incredible.
“Here you usually get more games that go end-to-end, and in matches like those it’s harder to close down spaces like they do in Spain or Italy.
“That makes it easier for central midfielders to play. I like the tempo of the game over here.
“I think it’s negative for Spain and for La Liga that great players like Nacho Monreal, Mikel Arteta, David Silva and many more have to leave the country to find their niche.
“The level of La Liga drops when they leave, and Spanish fans also don’t get to see them first-hand as often.”
