Grimaldo: "We're Going to Germany to Give Our All and Try to Win the Euro"
Alejandro Grimaldo, a defender for the Spanish national team, emphasized that they are heading to Germany, where the Euro is being held, "to give our all" and try to win, but he stressed that they will go "match by match without putting pressure on ourselves."
"Our goal is to go for everything, we're going to Germany to give our all and try to win the Euro. We'll take it match by match without putting pressure on ourselves, but we know we have a great group to have a great tournament," he said during the Spanish national team's media day at the Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas (Madrid), where he acknowledged "imagining being called up."
The Valencian, who described himself as a player "with a lot of personality" who tries "to contribute a lot offensively," admitted that he is "at the best moment of his career."
"The Euro is a very short tournament where the form of each player is very important. I'm at the best moment of my career and I think I'll be able to have a great competition and help the team in every way possible. I feel very good, very confident after an incredible year both collectively and personally," said the 28-year-old player, who explained that the styles of the national team and Bayern Leverkusen, his current club with which he has won the German League, the Cup, and has been a finalist in the Europa League, are "very similar."
"The styles are very similar, apart from the system. They are two teams that want to have the ball, that exert strong pressure after losing possession, we try to dominate the match through possession," he said.
Grimaldo, who mentioned that his coach Xabi Alonso, World Cup champion with Spain, wished him luck, commented that Luis de la Fuente, coach of the national team, will decide who will take the free kicks and emphasized that age is not a factor in the national team.
"We don't look at age. Here are incredible players of an extraordinary level and surely they will have an incredible Euro as they have had throughout the season," he opined.
Regarding Jordi Alba, he emphasized that he is a role model for him. "Jordi Alba is a reference because he has made history in the national team and at Barcelona. He is one of the best full-backs of recent years and it is clear that he has always been a very important player," noted Grimaldo, who also mentioned José Gayá and Alejandro Baldé, both injured.
"Gayá has always been a fixture for the national team, I hope he recovers because besides being a teammate in the national team, he is a friend. I've known him for many years in Valencia, I've been able to talk to him, he's confident. Both he and Baldé are injured and surely they would have had the opportunity to be here because they are great full-backs. I send them a lot of encouragement and wish them a speedy recovery," he explained.
