No game is a nuisance to Spain, says Del Bosque

Sep 6, 2012 5:30:00 PM

The 61-year-old coach refused to criticise the calendar his side have been handed, while he also highlighted the return of David Villa and the competitive nature of his squad

Vicente del Bosque has insisted that friendly matches are never an unwelcome distraction for Spain.

The European and world champions kick off their 2014 World Cup qualification campaign against Georgia on September 11, but firstly must host Saudi Arabia in a friendly encounter on Friday.

At a press conference on Thursday, their coach had no qualms with the schedule, claiming they must take advantage of such fixtures to prepare for the road to the finals in two years time.

"There is a calendar and we have to adapt to it," Del Bosque argued.

"Each day a player is better prepared physically. No game for Spain is a nuisance or does any harm."

On the return of David Villa, Del Bosque made it clear that the Barcelona striker would be eased back into contention, while other members of the squad would also get the opportunity to impress.

"Villa is fine," the former Real Madrid boss continued. "Staying here is a sign of the confidence we have in him and we have to work on his fitness.

"It's clear that he'll be getting some minutes, but our idea is to distribute all the game time that we can, to try out as many players as possible.

"Those who play tomorrow will not necessarily play the next game. Any line-up we use will be strong and with the future in mind."

With that onboard, Del Bosque is expecting all of his players to maintain their levels of motivation and remain competitive throughout the duration of the campaign.

"It is not difficult to motivate these players," he stated. "We are a dynamic team.

"We may fail, but that is not down to a lack of competitiveness. We have five games we must try to exploit."

"It is important for us to prepare in the best way possible for this game".

Finally, the 61-year-old expressed his satisfaction in knowing that Fernando Torres is set to earn his 100th Spain cap in his next appearance.

"Torres is proud to reach 100 games. There is also David Silva, Andres Iniesta, Santi Cazorla and Sergio Ramos. It is a generation where many players can reach that number," he concluded.

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