The new team captain, who succeeded retired legend Raul Entrerrios after Tokyo last August, is quite satisfied with the outcome of the preliminary round.
“We had our highlight in the match against Sweden, when we played outstanding, mainly in defence. The opener against the Czechs was a classic start to the tournament, when you never know where you stand. And in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina there was nothing to win or lose, but we won,” he says.
Guardiola is not only the new team captain, but also the new boss of the Spanish defence, as at club level, due to Viran Morros’ retirement from the national team.
“We have some new players in our squad, and it is my job to help them in defence, to talk to them, to implement our philosophy,” Guardiola explains.
“In contrast to many other teams, we have two different defence systems, a defensive 6-0 and an offensive 5-1 system, so we can switch easily from one variation to the other to cause turnovers. This is the key for Spanish success, as we know that defence and the cooperation of defenders and goalkeepers is the most crucial part of our game.”
On the German side, only one player is from his club Lemgo, wing Lukas Zerbe.
“We have not seen each other so far, as they are in a different hotel, but we congratulated each other for making it to the main round by some text messages. I hope to find the time to talk to him after the match,” Guardiola says, adding: “Playing in the Bundesliga – the best league in the world – for so long was the major driving force for my development and my career in the national team.”
Looking at the group II table, it is obvious that the winners of this classic duel of two top nations will take a huge step forward to the semi-finals.
“The semi is our next goal, but we know that the way there is rocky and steep,” Guardiola says, but he knows already one winner of the duel.
“Definitely the fans in the arena and on TV will see a great match between two of the best teams in the world, regardless which team wins.”
