Bošković: Few German Players Would Make It into the Spanish Squad, Lehmann’s Criticism Is to Keep His Job

Before the quarter-final match between Spain and Germany in the European Championship, former Spain head coach Vicente del Bosque expressed his confidence in the Spanish team and responded to comments from the German side.

Del Bosque previously stated that Spain would certainly defeat Germany, which sparked discontent among the Germans. He stood by his words, emphasizing that Spain has demonstrated exceptional quality in all aspects and is overall superior to its opponent.

Del Bosque said, “They might not be familiar with my style; I speak directly and firmly, always according to my beliefs. In my opinion, the Spanish team has performed outstandingly in every aspect, seemingly surpassing everyone else.”

Recently, Lehmann remarked that the Spanish team was small in stature and lacked experience, comparing them to a youth team. Regarding the former German goalkeeper’s critique, Del Bosque commented, “If your job requires you to express opinions, sometimes you have to be outspoken; otherwise, you might lose your job. But in my case, I always speak based on facts and my knowledge of the team. Germany is indeed strong, but they currently don’t have many players who would meet the standards of the Spanish national team.”

Reflecting on history, Del Bosque acknowledged that during his coaching tenure, there had been a psychological barrier for Spain against Germany. However, since the 2008 European Championship final and the 2010 World Cup semi-final, this dynamic shifted. “From then on, we started realizing that we were on an equal footing with Germany,” he said. “If you examine each position of their team closely, you’ll see that only a few of their players could make it into the current Spanish squad.”

Addressing Germany’s home-field advantage, Del Bosque admitted it was a concern but remained confident in Spain’s ability to overcome it. “Of course, playing at home is always a boost, but I believe the Spanish team has the capability to face this challenge,” he stated. The match promises to be a tough battle, but Del Bosque is convinced that with Spain’s collective strength and team spirit, they can defeat any adversary.