Spain’s Rodri Hernandez Aims to Restore Winning Culture in Nations League Final Against Croatia
Spain midfielder Rodri Hernandez is hoping to restore his team’s “winning culture” by beating Croatia in the Nations League final on Sunday. The Manchester City player was the goalscoring hero in their Champions League final triumph over Inter Milan last weekend. He noted that only two players in Spain’s squad had won trophies with the national team, Jordi Alba and Jesus Navas. Sevilla wing-back Navas lifted the 2010 World Cup with La Roja, while Alba was part of the side which won Spain’s last trophy at Euro 2012, over a decade ago.
Creating a Winning Culture
Rodri believes that winning the Nations League will be very important to bring Spain back to the highest point. He said that it’s not just important to win but to create a winning culture. He added that they have a unique opportunity to do so. Spain had the chance to win against France in the 2021 final but couldn’t do it. Winning the Nations League will allow them to recover that winning culture.
Spain’s Recent Performances
Spain reached the Euro 2020 semifinals but were beaten by Italy on penalties. Rodri has become a key figure for coach Luis de la Fuente in midfield and believes he is at a career level high. He thinks that winning a title would crown a very special season for him.
Rodri vs Modric
Rodri will come face-to-face with Croatian midfield maestro Luka Modric, who shone in his team’s semifinal victory over hosts the Netherlands. Spain coach De la Fuente highlighted the pair’s quality and said that for him, Rodri is the best defensive midfielder in the world. He added that Modric is a world-class talent. The coach said that Modric was a worry for his team, but so were Croatia as a whole. He said that they have players of a very high level, which is why they are where they are. He added that they have to be more alert around Modric, paying attention to him.
Dani Olmo’s Fitness
De la Fuente confirmed that forward Dani Olmo was fit to feature in the final at De Kuip after missing the 2-1 win over Italy on Thursday in Enschede.
Conclusion
Spain will face Croatia in the Nations League final on Sunday. Rodri Hernandez hopes to restore his team’s “winning culture” by beating Croatia and winning the tournament. He believes that winning a title would crown a very special season for him. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente highlighted the quality of Rodri and Luka Modric, who will come face-to-face in the final. He said that they have to be more alert around Modric, paying attention to him. Forward Dani Olmo is fit to feature in the final after missing the win over Italy.