Spain coach Luis Enrique set his players 'homework' of 1,000 penalties ahead of the World Cup
"It doesn't depend on luck, the goalkeeper is key in the shootout. All three of our keepers are good at them. In our sessions we have players taking penalty kicks, it's homework we've taken into account."
Spanish coach Luis Enrique is confident that his team can defeat Morocco and handle the pressure of a penalty shootout if necessary in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Enrique disclosed that he had given each of his players the "homework" of practicing 1,000 penalties before the World Cup started.
Morocco unexpectedly won the group, beating out Croatia and Belgium. After losing to Japan, Spain placed second in their group, setting up their matchup against the only remaining African team on Tuesday.
Spain competed in two shootouts at the 2017 European Championship, defeating Switzerland in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champions Italy in the semifinals.
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"Over a year ago, in many national camps we told players, You have homework ahead of the World Cup. You must take at least 1,000 penalties with the club. You can't just train them when they're with the national team'," Luis Enrique told reporters.
"I don't think it's a lottery. If you train often, then the way you take penalties improves. Obviously, you can't train the pressure and tension, but you can cope with it.
"It doesn't depend on luck, the goalkeeper is key in the shootout. All three of our keepers are good at them. In our sessions we have players taking penalty kicks, it's homework we've taken into account."
For their performances during the group stage, Luis Enrique gave his team a B+, highlighting the 15 minutes against Japan during which they were "steam-rolled."
"We have a clear idea," he said. "We don't have to dominate all opponents for 90 minutes. In the World Cup you have the best teams, you're playing against top-level coaches and players," Enrique added.
"Morocco are in the best mood at the moment, they're highly motivated after a spectacular group stage, they topped a tricky group.
"I'm very satisfied with what I've seen in training, I'm convinced we have a great chance to achieve a good result and advance."
Spain have only advanced past the round of 16 once in the previous four World Cups, and that was when they won the title in 2010.
"I couldn't care less about the result, I want to control what I can control as a coach. I encourage my players to forget about the result too, the result will come," Luis Enrique said.
"Football is not always a fair game. I'm convinced we have more merits than Morocco. If we don't, I'll be totally fine.
"Our philosophy is the same. We try and entertain the fans so they have fun watching us. We shouldn't just go and get the victory, we need to entertain the spectators."
