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Dani Vivian: "We believe in ourselves"

The central defender of the Spanish national team, star of the semi-final against France, backs the group spirit that has led Spain to a step away from the European Championships title: "There are no substitutes in this group".
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Thu, 11/07/2024 - 16:16

On the 14th anniversary of winning the World Cup in South Africa, Spain are on the verge of another final thanks in large part to the defensive work of Dani Vivian during the second half of the Euro 2024 semi-final against France.

The defender from Vitoria wanted to sum up the mood of the national team three days before the fight for the title against England in Berlin, pointing out that "we feel like winners every day, but we don't feel like winners of the European Championships yet. We don't make assessments about whether we are better or worse, we simply believe in ourselves and we have believed since day one. We have earned the fact that we feel loved".

Against the Brits, Vivian and his team-mates will have to face one of the most outstanding front lines in world football, including the likes of Harry Kane, whom he considers "one of the best strikers in the world, if not the best".

That's why the defensive qualities of the whole team will be fundamental, starting with players like captain Álvaro Morata, of whom Vivian said that "the way he defends shows the way he lives for his responsibility and his desire for everything to go well, which he then reflects on the pitch. I think it's something that speaks very well of the team".

In the Basque player's opinion, names such as that of coach Luis de la Fuente deserve a large amound of the credit for what has been achieved so far during the European Championships, in which "I have seen the respect that the coaching staff has for each other and the respect they have for the players. The gaffer is close to us, motivating us all the time and he holds us all in tremendous esteem. We are very grateful to have him here".

The feeling we have in the group means that there are no substitutes," Dani continued, "we all feel supported and committed. Everyone has their own personality, from the experience of the veteran to the innocence of the youngsters. Everyone has their role and we all accept the important of what we can contribute".

Regarding Lamine Yamal, voted best player from Spain’s semi-final, his team-mate confessed that "the goal he scored came at our worst moment of the match. He scored an amazing goal and from then on the team grew a lot. It was a key moment without a doubt. Lamine is the joker in the dressing room, but he is also calm and the way he plays is the way he is. He understands the game perfectly well and is aware of his responsibility.

The fact that we have gone through the tough part of the draw and had to face four world champion teams to win the trophy is something that, for Vivian, "motivates us and we always feel we are capable of doing it and now we want to finish the job".

The words of praise and gratitude to the region where Spain has been based since the start of the tournament closed off the press conference with the Athletic Club international, who, three days before the final, said that the whole team and the coaching staff "are full of all the enthusiasm and desire in the world".