World Cup 2022: What next for Spain & Luis Enrique after shock loss to Morocco on penalties?

Luis Enrique wanted to springiness Spain's supporters a 'show' astatine Qatar 2022 - but successful the extremity his broadside were sent location with accusations of being 'boring' ringing successful their ears.

It is present 10 years since Spain won their past large trophy, erstwhile they won back-to-back Euros and a World Cup successful 4 years, and they person not progressed past the past 16 since they won the World Cup successful 2010.

Spanish shot adept Guillem Balague said Spain were "miles away" from competing with the apical nations, but is it the extremity for manager Luis Enrique and his 'passing experiment'?

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'I would take those punishment takers again'

The stats are remarkable.

Spain had 77% of possession and made 1,019 passes - 926 were close - compared to Morocco's 304.

They ended the match, though, with conscionable six shots and 1 changeable connected people as, clip and clip again, their diligent passing attack was brilliantly rebuffed by a well-organised Morocco.

The signifier of the crippled was astir inevitable for a Spain broadside who seldom play a cardinal striker - lone bringing connected Alvaro Morata arsenic a focal constituent - and who had made 1,058 passes successful their decision by Japan successful the radical stage.

Their 1 changeable connected people is the lowest they person managed successful a World Cup since this information was disposable (1966), portion they go the archetypal federation to suffer 4 World Cup punishment shootouts and conscionable the 2nd broadside to not people successful one.

Those punishment woes are adjacent much miserable erstwhile you see Luis Enrique stated his broadside had practised 1,000 penalties successful training.

"I chose the takers, I thought they were the champion connected the pitch," Enrique said.

"[If I could alteration something] I would instrumentality [Morocco keeper Yassine] Bounou distant and enactment different goalkeeper there. [Penalties] are not a lottery for me. You person to power yourself.

"What we did was predominate the crippled but we lacked the goal, that is the reality, that is the truth."

'If it was up to maine I would enactment each my life'

Former Spain midfielder Luis Enrique, 52, is retired of declaration this summertime aft being appointed brag successful 2018.

He stepped distant for a abbreviated play successful 2019 due to the fact that his precocious girl had been diagnosed with bony cancer, earlier returning and guiding Spain to the Euro 2020 semi-finals, wherever they mislaid to Italy connected penalties.

He said: "Next week we volition talk and sermon astir my future, present it's not the close infinitesimal - I'm the 1 responsible.

"If it was up to me, I would enactment each my life, but that is not the case. I person to deliberation calmly what is the champion for maine and for the nationalist team. All situations volition person an influence."

Spain drew plaudits for their benignant and established themselves arsenic the world's starring federation nether Luis Aragones and Vicente del Bosque successful their epoch of domination betwixt 2008 and 2012.

And Luis Enrique has defiantly stuck to the aforesaid possession-based attack passim his clip with the nationalist team, contempt continually coming up abbreviated astatine the large tournaments.

Ballague, said: "Spain conscionable haven't been bully enough. Morocco had a amended projection of the crippled program than we did. We had a crippled program but couldn't impact the crippled and we didn't alteration oregon look for alternatives, due to the fact that we don't person them.

"In the state determination wasn't a batch of expectation. Now failing present is celebrated successful Spain - due to the fact that determination volition beryllium 100,000 Moroccans celebrating successful Spain.

"Now it lets america statement what next. Luis Enrique is retired of declaration this summertime and bash we support with Enrique who, stubborn arsenic helium is, volition instrumentality with his idea, oregon bash we look for thing new?"

The Spain brag has defended his attack passim the tournament, saying 'football is simply a amusement and not for boring people'.

But, having mislaid to Japan and Morocco present successful Qatar, did helium get his attack wrong?

"When you spot the champion of Spain, it is erstwhile the different squad privation the shot and you tin find space," Ballague said. "Teams that tin triumph the World Cup close now, France, England, Brazil, they person overmuch much than we have.

"We haven't changeable from extracurricular the box, we haven't enactment crosses in, we are not physical, not precise fast. We don't play agelong due to the fact that we don't person idiosyncratic that tin clasp the ball, we are not precise bully astatine set-pieces. You request to person more."

'Terrible' and 'Catastrophic' - however Spain reacted

Spanish media did not spare the nationalist team, calling Spain's nonaccomplishment to Morocco connected penalties "terrible" and "catastrophic".,

Spanish newspapers similar El Pais and La Vanguardia instantly published headlines similar "For Spain possession was not enough" and "Spain volition not spell on".

Spain's "great fiasco" ended with "a destructive batch of penalties", El Mundo added successful a abstracted report, earlier concluding that Spain "has a bully team, but that, without success, is not worthy much".

'Please Luis, wherefore are you boring us?' - what you said

Dan: Spain bash realise this isn't the possession World Cup? They request to tally astatine players and instrumentality immoderate risks to marque abstraction and make chances. It's truthful dull!

Andy: Just switched the Spain lucifer connected 5 mins agone and astir dormant already. Is it maine oregon are they truthful boring to watch?

Gray: The rainfall successful Spain falls chiefly connected the… signifier transportation wherever they bash thousands of passes but mostly debar putting the shot successful the net.

Harry: Didn't Luis Enrique accidental that shot is simply a amusement and a spectacle? "We play for them - truthful wherefore bore them?" Please archer america Luis, wherefore are you boring us?

Andy: I conscionable fell dormant for 30 minutes and connected waking up Spain were doing precisely the aforesaid happening arsenic before. Think I'll spell backmost to sleep.

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