Alvaro Morata has claimed that fans are waiting to pile on and criticize Spain after they sank into a disappointing 1-1 draw with Poland on Saturday night.
The Juventus striker opened the scoring but a Robert Lewandowski nod pulled Poland level. Gerard Moreno missed a penalty for La Furia Roja and Morata himself rejected a couple of great chances, which means that the winners in 2008 and 2012 are now on the verge of elimination from Euro 2020.
Morata quickly slammed his and Spain’s critics after the match, saying they were “waiting to pile on” Luis Enrique’s side, claiming there was no “sense of unity” in the country.
“If we listen to what people say, it can not help, because they are all waiting to pile on and criticize us,” Morata told Sky Sport Italia.
“Usually when big nations reach a competition like this, there is a sense of unity around them. We know we are following a generation of geniuses who won everything and it is difficult for us to fill these shoes, but we have to believe in ourselves. ”
Morata took no consolation in his initial goal, when he skillfully hit his marker to knock the ball home from close range.
“It’s a team sport. If we do not win, it does not matter if I score or not. I’m disappointed we could not get three points, but the next match is like a final. ”
It was an evening to forget for Spain / Marcelo Del Pozo – Pool / Getty Images
He also squandered a couple of great opportunities, including a rebound from Moreno’s penalty, which he placed at the post. The Juve star put the miss down to the “incredible speed” of the ball.
“The ball traveled at an incredible speed and it was difficult to get control of it. Maybe I was too close to that and should have made another choice. ”
Spain are now in third place in Group E and face a real battle to qualify for the knockout stages of Euro 2020. They must beat second-placed Slovakia or face the potential humiliation of finishing bottom in a group they were originally favorites to win.
