I knew it would be a difficult and complicated match and when you don’t put the ball away it becomes even harder,

They’ve taken so long and their initial forthright defense suggests it will be a whitewash. We would be very surprised if there was anything other than a slap on the wrist. If they were serious...

I am a citizen of the world. Some of my best friends are black, including those I had from childhood. The fact that I made a joke in order to motivate a player has nothing...

We’re better than Belgium

I am not worried about facing Belgium. I get worried about things like the speed of bullets if I had to go to war.

On paper they are inferior to us so our aim is to score as many goals as possible so that we don’t lose out to our rivals on goal difference.

This game is the most important for me as the coach of Spain. In fact probably ever,

It is still complicated for all the sides in the group, not only Spain ,

Everyone gets what they deserve.

Our opponents took advantage of our anxiety. They had one attack in the first half, scored and then made good use of the situation.

I’m banking on the playoffs now.

We’ll have the problem of the cold and the state of the field, but I’m convinced we can win. Slovakia is a good team. But when Spain does things right it’s a powerful team.

They will be good for Torres and for all of us, people can’t now say that we lack goals.

This is a very exciting group with every result important. Everybody is relying on other results. But we must still do our job and win against Belgium and San Marino.

Now it’s official, we’re in the World Cup. It’s now down to us to work as hard as possible to prepare for next year.

Of course we have always had good players technically but in recent years we have not been able to convert that talent into international success,

De la Pena is a quality player and one of the most effective providers of scoring passes in Spain,

It’s going to be difficult…(but) my morale is intact,

I have only been the coach for a year, however, and I expect to turn this history around both in the playoffs and then at the finals in Germany.

However, he has at the level of resistance that we need.

What’s essential is to win. And if it’s by two goals, that’s better than one. And if it’s by three, even better. I think we’re superior in terms of our technical ability and we have...

I don’t think this result will influence what happens on Wednesday, but I am not going to deny that the squad will have lost a little self-belief.

I’m happy for my players, for my country and for myself. Spain has always qualified for the last 30 years, so there’s not a lot to celebrate. But I’m content, we’ve done the job.

I have to confess I am worried. We played well up to 65 minutes and then there was that extraordinary blow which threw us off-balance.

Ivory Coast is a good team and has an advantage because it’s just played the African Cup final. Although Spain hasn’t played for a while, I hope the players can put on a good display.

Yes, we’re a good deal worse than I first thought. We’ve been bad in the first half in both our games and we’ve only improved when our opponents have tired.

It wasn’t a great game, but we had more chances, more of the ball and we were clearly the better side.

Serbia are going to have problems in their two games. They could easily slip up in one of them, although we have to do our bit and win our two as well.

If we start nervously, it could be deadly. We must be calm and confident right from the start.

Raul is an important player for this side just like other experienced players in the squad. Great players always rise to the occasion when it counts and can provide psychological support to the other players...

We’re all packed together but I still think we’ll finish in first place because we’re the best.

For their performances in some recent games and almost 65 minutes on Wednesday, the side deserve some credit. They deserve a vote of confidence.

But all the players who have not been included know that they can return to the side if they prove themselves on the pitch.

sporting decorum and dignity.

The three teams are complicated. They’ve finished second so they must be. All three are dangerous.

Getting to the finals is every Spanish person’s dream. We will have the hopes and dreams of millions in our hands when we play on Saturday.

I imagine we’ll be in the playoffs.

Raul is a very important player because he is the captain, … The national team is very close to his heart and he always wants to win. He needs the support of the national coach...

On paper Lithuania are maybe not that strong technically, but they make up for that a direct approach and they will be very difficult opponents especially when they play at home.

The fracture was caused when he twisted his ankle. He will be in plaster for about 10 days and will then start physiotherapy.

We are going to win both games and we will finish first, I really believe that. We are a better team than Belgium and that is what makes me optimistic.

Slovakia are definitely not the team I was hoping for.

In football terms we are better than our group rivals, but some of them are able to beat us because they know how to compete,

To say that we’ve played badly and we’ve failed in this, this and this is normal. I believe in the national team and in the players I’ve got and I think that little by little...

There was too much anxiety, hastiness and disorganization. There were occasions when we had four forwards all in a line and that’s no good. On the left wing we didn’t overlap enough.