As if it were an election, the Spanish team has entered a period of reflection. First, to digest the elimination from the World Cup on penalties against Morocco, which has raised many blisters and reopened old wounds. And, later, and more importantly, to define the future of Luis Enrique, whose contract expired at the same moment that Achraf's Panenka-style shot kissed the Education City goal net.
The shock wave of the tremendous failure signed against Morocco, at this point there is no need to beat around the bush or subterfuge, it has few precedents. The feeling of desolation among the Spanish expedition will take a long time to disappear. They tell from within that they rarely remember something like this. In Russia, where he also fell on penalties in the round of 16, there was a similar grief but with a big difference. Then, after the Lopetegui earthquake, everything was in doubt before the World Cup. Now, after four years of being Luis Enrique, the hopes of taking a great leap forward in Qatar were as big as the cake suffered on Tuesday.
Silence marked the hours after the disaster. From the bus, where the players with lost eyes clung to their headphones to isolate themselves from what happened, Luis Enrique himself sent a message to the fans: “It couldn't have been, we've tried but it hasn't been enough. We're sorry we didn't give you joy… that's football and life… get up”. His face reflected a deep wear and a feeling of undisguised bitterness.
The arrival at the Qatar University headquarters had the same painful overtones. Sorrowful faces and each to his room. The last night in Qatar was very hard. Everyone had the obligation to pack their bags before going to sleep –those who could fall asleep– so that they could be checked in in advance and minimize paperwork. It all looked like one huge slab. Again the penalties, like last year in the Eurocup. The nightmare was revived but in a World Cup the load weighs triple. The trip, more of the same. Hardly the noise of the engines rumbled in the cabin of the plane.
After speaking directly with the president of the RFEF, Luis Rubiales, in Education City itself, the two parties agreed to spend a few days. The Asturian is going to take some decompression time with his family. He needs to digest what happened and, above all, clear his mind in order to make the best possible decision "thinking the best for myself but also for the national team", as he clarified in the press room after being knocked out against Morocco. The date points to the beginning of next week but it cannot be ruled out that events will precipitate before. Luis Enrique will decide.
All the signs invite us to think of the end of the cycle, in which the coach will step aside and the bidding will open again to sit on the red bench, with the names of Luis de la Fuente (continuity) and Marcelino (unknown) flying over Las Rozas. But making predictions with Luis Enrique is too risky. If he decides to quit, he won't be short of offers to continue training. “I have more exits than the subway”, he repeats sardonically. A factor that will be of great help when it comes to cooling your mind and being able to decide without any type of ties.
The RFEF had high hopes for this World Cup and the stick at all levels is one of those that make a dent. The KO of the selection not only has sporting consequences, it also means a good bite to the federal coffers. The results of the absolute have a lot of incidence when signing sponsorships. And in the last year, with the semifinals of the Eurocup as the flag, several very beneficial agreements for the RFEF had been closed. Now, after what happened in Qatar, months are coming up in which the business department of Las Rozas is going to have to push itself to the maximum to maintain the levels of income that, in addition, later have an impact on more modest football.
After the elimination, the one who appeared before the media was Molina, the sports director, and his speech had little to do with that of previous occasions, far from what had always been unconditional support for the coach. Luis Enrique has always maintained an excellent relationship both with Molina himself and with Luis Rubiales, but what happened against Morocco has created a bit of space between the parties. Something more than normal given the circumstances, the Asturian wants to get as far away from the noise as possible to make the best decision.
Ballasted by the absence of a differential player – there does not seem to be one today in Spanish football – Spain said goodbye to Morocco, pushing Luis Enrique's idea of a possession game to the limit and now the coach must ask himself if he sees himself capable of reaching higher levels playing the same and with the same footballers. In his hands is the future of the bench of the Spanish team.
