Both are located in the south of the island of Cyprus. Less than an hour's drive separates Larnaca from Limassol. In the first, just 25 years ago, Javier Clemente's Spain fell on a night for the black legend of Spanish football. In the second, he plays the red this Thursday with the sole incentive of securing first place in his group and, consequently, a better draw for the final phase of the Euro Cup next summer.
That 1998 defeat (3-2) took down the controversial Basque coach and still lingers in the imagination. “I get chills when I remember it,” Luis de la Fuente admitted in the preview, precisely a disciple of Clemente in those two Leagues that Athletic won in the 80s and who now directs the national team.
In the last break, Spain secured its passport for the event in Germany and, in addition, took first place in the group after a nightmare start to qualifying in Scotland. Maintaining that privileged position is the only thing that will be at stake today in Cyprus and on Sunday in Zorrilla, against Georgia. This does not seem like a exactly titanic task since their two rivals are the last two classified in the group, with special mention for the Cypriots, with seven defeats in seven games.
Despite this scenario, De la Fuente tried not to take away even an iota of significance from the Limasol meeting: “For us it is very important, we always want to grow and continue taking steps forward. As I tell my players, the game plan is to go out and 'burst boilers'. That is, at the limit of our possibilities.” Although the coach did not say it openly – his response was a usual “we will bring out a team with full guarantees” –, some rotation is expected in the eleven and opportunities for the various new faces that are around the Spanish concentration these days such as Grimaldo, Aleix Garcia or Riquelme.
Spain will debut in Cyprus the shirt with the cockade that accredits it as champion of the Nations League, a tournament it won last June.
