Euro 2008 win helped change the mindset of Spain's players: Hierro

Legend Hierro says Euro 2008 win helped change the mindset of Spain's players

Legend Hierro says Euro 2008 winu00a0helpedu00a0change the mindset of Spain's players

Spain director of football Fernando Hierro has declared that winning the European Championship in 2008 has changed the mentality of the team as they prepare to get their World Cup finals campaign underway.

Spot on: Spanish striker David Villa practices his shots before the game against Switzerland. PIC/Gettyimages

Hierro also noted that la Furia Roja have done their homework on their group opponents and he expects teams to sit and defend and try to hit Spain on the counterattack.

"The European Championship success was essential. That changed the mentality of all the team. Winning the European Championship removed much of the fear," he stated.

"The players are very motivated, but with all respect and humility. We cannot honestly lose humility."

Dominate possession
"Our opponents are going to give us plenty of possession. We know the difficulty of the three games, because Honduras and Chile are two teams that press and run a lot.

"I anticipate that teams will give us the ball, defend and counterattack. That's where we need to know how to play the games. We have extensively studied our opponents, and we will have to work hard in the games."

As far as Spain coach, Vicente Del Bosque, is concerned he has a very joyous headache as he mulls on which 11 to pick to start as he has a a full fit squad to his disposal.

"It's difficult to get away from the view of the outside," said Bosque. "There is an optimism as if we were going to play the World Cup final now.

"Fortunately, we have players that are aware of the reality and not of utopia. Players that know what football is like," he said.

Negative Swiss
Their match against the Swiss will be one where they pit their flair against the low-risk style of the Swiss. The Swiss became the only side to go out of a World Cup without conceding a goal from open play in Germany when they lost to Ukraine. They failed to convert any of their spot kicks in sudden death as the World Cup debutants slotted in their three to advance.

They have already made their intentions clear that they intend to repeat the approach as defenderu00a0 Philipe Senderos said yesterday, "Hopefully we'll repeat what we did at the last World Cup."