Del Bosque 'delighted' with Puyol's decision
Spain's national team coach, Vicente del Bosque, has praised his vice-captain Carlos Puyol's decision to keep playing international football after his country's World Cup victory this summer.
Puyol, 32, was instrumental in the Spanish defence in South Africa, scoring the only goal against Germany in the semi-final. He also helped Spain win its first European championship title in 2008.
Having finally won the finest prize of international football, Puyol considered retiring from the national team after the World Cup. But on August 1, the Barcelona vice-captain announced that he would continue to play for del Bosque's side for at least two
more years, meaning that he will be present at the 2012 European championships, should Spain qualify.
“I enjoy speaking highly of Puyol, and I am delighted by his decision to continue with the national team," del Bosque told
EFE about one of his most experienced players. "He is an honest and fair professional, who is the first to arrive for training, and these things must be evaluated."
Two more qualifiers next month
Spain opened their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign two weeks ago with a 4–0 victory over Liechtenstein. Strikers David Villa and Fernando Torres each scored two goals in the game.
Next month, Spain will host Lithuania before travelling to face Scotland in two challenging qualifiers. The Czech Republic is the final team in Group I, but Spain will not face Michal Bilek's team until March next year.
“Now we have two important games, in Salamanca and in Glasgow. The truth is that it is impossible for a team to always win. A loss happens eventually. We must look ahead and always evolve, and the passage of time will bring new players into the squad," del
Bosque said.
Olympique Marseille defender Cesar Azpilicueta and Athletic Bilbao's Javi Martinez, a central midfielder, are two of the younger players del Bosque has backed to form part of the Spanish squad on a regular basis.
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