SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

England have potential but lack organisation - Del Bosque

ALICANTE, Spain (Reuters) - Roy Hodgson's England have "great potential" but need to be more organised, said Spain coach Vicente del Bosque on the eve of Friday's friendly between the two nations.

England have potential but lack organisation - Del Bosque
(Reuters)

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters


Skip to article content

England impressed with a perfect 10 wins as they topped Euro 2016 Group E qualifying and will be looking to carry that form into the finals in France next year.

Holders Spain also won their group after recovering from an early reverse to Slovakia and will chase an unprecedented third consecutive European title after their triumphs in 2008 and 2012.

"England have a team with great potential and are individually very strong," Del Bosque told a news conference ahead of the game at Alicante's Jose Rico Perez stadium.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"Once they have a bit of organisation they will be a great side."

Spain and England last met in November 2011 when a Frank Lampard goal was enough for a 1-0 home victory at Wembley.

The 2010 world champions went on to win Euro 2012, conceding only one goal in the tournament and thrashing Italy 4-0 in the final while England were knocked out by the Italians on penalties in the quarter-finals.

Del Bosque again defended combative Chelsea striker Diego Costa who has been underperforming for club and country in recent months but has been included in Spain's squad.

Costa has made nine appearances for La Roja since choosing them over his native Brazil but has only managed one goal, the third in a 4-0 victory over Luxembourg.

Del Bosque, who has also been critical of Costa's disciplinary problems in the Premier League, said he was confident the 27-year-old would succeed at international level.

"We know what Diego Costa's character is like," said the coach. "He is not here because we are obliged to bring him because he has any debt to us. He is here because we believe in him."

After hosting England, Spain travel to Brussels to play Belgium in another friendly on Tuesday.

(Writing by Iain Rogers, editing by Tony Jimenez)


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world