(Reuters) – Spain coach Luis Enrique has said that if his team cannot triumph at the World Cup in Qatar he would like to see Lionel Messi or Luis Suarez crowned with Argentina and Uruguay respectively.
Luis Enrique, who coached Messi and Suarez in a successful stint with Barcelona from 2014 to 2017, said that the forwards deserved to retire with a world title under their belt.
“If we don’t win it, I would like Argentina. It would be very unfair for a player of Messi’s stature to retire without a World Cup. Also Uruguay for Luis Suarez,” Luis Enrique said in his Twitch streaming debut on Friday.
The 52-year-old coach also trusts his side to have a successful tournament despite Spain’s inexperienced base of players and said his team, who have been drawn in Group E with Germany, Costa Rica and Japan, are not afraid of anyone.
“I’m not worried about youth. Football has evolved, the young players have a lot of enthusiasm, the veteran players lead the group and the young players let themselves be led,” he said.
“Our aim is to finish top of the group. We already know who we would face in the last 16 and we would play someone from Brazil’s group in the semi-finals, but who said we were afraid?”
“Hopefully it’s Spain who will be the surprise, although for me it wouldn’t be a surprise,” Luis Enrique added.
Spain kick off their World Cup campaign on Wednesday against Costa Rica.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris)
