Spain pin hopes on Raul and Fabregas
The 67-year-old said he had made the decision to help his side starve the former world champions of possession in the Hanover clash.
“A coach has to look at the small details that decide games and one of the things I want to do is to make sure we control the game,” Aragones said.
“I’m only changing the team in order to strengthen an aspect that will help us win the game. My aim is to hit the nail on the head. I’ll be the first to admit if I get it wrong, but I don’t think I will,” he added.
“For us it is vital to have the ball and with these two it will be easier to do that.”
Judging by yesterday’s pre-match training session Raul will start at the expense of forward Luis Garcia, while 19-year-old Fabregas will replace midfielder Marcos Senna.
Raul, who celebrates his 29th birthday on the day of the match, has a score to settle with France after missing a last-minute penalty when Spain lost 2-1 to Les Bleus in the quarter-finals of Euro 2000.
The Real Madrid striker is Spain’s all-time leading scorer with 44 goals and will make his 99th international appearance against France.
Apart from the two changes, Aragones will field the same team that crushed Ukraine 4-0 in their opening group match and then claimed a 3-1 comeback win against Tunisia.
Centre back Carles Puyol will lead the back four and be given the job of policing Thierry Henry as he was in the Champions League final against Arsenal.
“Henry is very dangerous, especially if he is given space and we’ve got to make sure he doesn’t get it,” said the Barcelona player.
Aragones was in bullish mood despite the fact that Spain have never beaten France in a competitive match.
“My bags are still unpacked and I’ve even left my shaving kit in the bathroom at (Spain’s World Cup base in) Kamen,” he said.
French coach Raymond Domenech broke with his usual practice yesterday and did not name his starting line-up the day before the match, leaving Zinedine Zidane to sweat on whether he will return to the team after missing the win over Togo through suspension.
“After training I am not going to announce the team for the second round game against Spain,” said the France coach. “I like to change my habits. Keeping the same routine is boring.”
Zidane has already announced his intention to retire after France’s elimination from the tournament.
Domenech is not expecting any surprises from opposite number Luis Aragones.
“Maybe I am wrong,” he said, “but I don’t believe Spain are going to change the team.”
Silvestre, meanwhile, believes the meeting will be a spectacle.
“Spain and France share the same spirit,” he said. “It’s do or die and we have to do something to get a result. The game against Spain will be a very good game to watch. It’s going to be a good position for us because they have an attacking spirit.”
lFrench defender Mikael Silvestre has stoked the build up by again claiming Aragones should have been suspended for his racist remarks about Thierry Henry.
Silvestre said: “We disapprove of that kind of comment even if it was in the context of a training session.”
Aragones made his remarks as he was trying to urge Jose Antonio Reyes to prove he was better than Henry.
Silvestre said: “Everyone was talking about it. A coach shouldn’t talk like that as he is meant to set an example.”
“He should have been suspended for a while,” said Silvestre. “The World Cup is a good place and I don’t think there is much racism.”
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