Former Mexican star Hugo Sanchez, a legend who has left his mark on Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano, recently spoke to Marca to share his thoughts on the Spanish national team's performance at the Euros and to give his insights on a number of hot topics in the soccer world.
Talking about the Spanish national team, Hugo Sanchez could not hide his appreciation. He recalled the scene in 2010 to witness Spain's victory in person, and confessed that he was pleasantly surprised by the performance of this Spanish team in this year's Euro. "I didn't expect this Spanish team to perform so well," he said, "They played a high level of soccer and I sincerely hope they can win this Euro."
Regarding the criticism that Morata suffered in the Spanish team, Hugo Sanchez expressed his understanding and sympathy. He believes that being a center forward in Spain is a difficult task, but Morata's courage to express his emotions and feelings is a rare quality in itself. "I had similar feelings in Mexico," he recalled, "and I hope that people will be more sensitive to Morata's talent."
Regarding Spain's status as the favorites for this year's Euros, Hugo Sanchez says it is well deserved. "The whole world sees Spain as the favorites because of the excellent soccer they have shown throughout the tournament." He also pointed out that from England's point of view, Spain's path to the title is also full of challenges and expectations.
Hugo Sanchez was even more complimentary when talking about young player Yamal. "He's a gem of world soccer," he said, "and we have to look after and protect him. Young players like Yamal and Nico are talented and their future is unlimited."
Hugo Sanchez has also expressed his views on French star Mbappe. He believes that Mbappe's influence as one of the best players in the world has transcended the boundaries of the club and the league. "We're used to the best players in the world playing for Real Madrid," he said, "but Mbappe's talent is unquestionable, and I'm sure he'll recover quickly from his injuries and continue to show his full strength."
Finally, Hugo Sanchez also spoke about the problems facing the Mexican national team. He criticized the decision of the Mexican soccer leaders, arguing that no longer participating in CONCACAF club competitions has had a big impact on Mexican soccer. "It has seriously weakened us," he said, "The problem with the Mexican national team is the lack of talent resources, we have fewer and fewer players in the local leagues and in the big European leagues." He called on the Mexican soccer community to be able to take steps to improve this situation and lay a solid foundation for the future development of Mexican soccer.
