Follow-up – WAA
Spanish player Rodri spoke about the upcoming decisive match against France in the European Nations semi-final, expressing his opinion regarding the performance of French star Kylian Mbappe.
Rodri has called for more protection for players after one of his Spain team-mates was ruled out of the rest of the European Championship in Germany.
Pedri’s participation in the tournament ended after the midfielder suffered a knee injury last Friday during a strong challenge with Toni Kroos at the start of the quarter-final against Germany, which the Spanish team won (2-1).
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Kroos should have been sent off in the final game of his glittering career, although the German did not even receive a yellow card.
“As footballers, we always want to be protected, and that’s the referee’s job,” Rodri commented.
“I mean he sets the standards, so a yellow card or a red card is his job, it’s not our job. We play by the rules or the standard he sets. That’s the reality,” he added.
Rodri, considered the best defensive midfielder in the world, expects another tough semi-final against France on Tuesday.
Regarding this encounter, Rodri said: “It will be a very physical battle because they are a very physical team. So we have to go the same way, try to be strong, use the body, because we know the strength they have.”
Regarding the criticism Mbappe has received for his performance and his modest scoring, Rodri said: “I know how much he can make a difference, whether he is currently performing well or not, he is always a threat to the opponent, the French team as a whole is dangerous, they have a very good defence and they are also dangerous on the counter-attack.”
Rodri concluded his speech by saying: “We will not face France with fear, we will show that we are capable of winning against the team that has reached the most finals in recent years.”
Source: Sky News