The Spanish coach made his students practice kicking 1000 balls of 11m

* Morocco - Spain: 10pm today, on MetaSports.

"For more than a year, through many meetings, I remind the players to take at least 1,000 11m kicks at club level. They can't just practice penalty kicks when they go to the national team," Enrique said on 5/ 12, at the pre-match press conference.

At Euro 2021, Spain had to take penalty kicks twice. They beat Switzerland 3-1 in the quarter-finals, but then lost to Italy - who then beat England in a shootout in the final - with a score of 2-3 in the semi-finals.

Enrique doesn't see penalty shootouts as a matter of luck, which can be improved with regular practice. According to the 52-year-old coach, the only problem is that the players do not practice with the same pressure and tension as in official matches.

The Spanish coach also considers goalkeepers to play a decisive role, and assesses the three people called up for the 2022 World Cup - Unai Simon, Robert Sanchez, David Raya - can catch well in the gunfight. "During training sessions, all the players take penalties. It's like homework for them," added Enrique.

In the last four World Cups, Spain only made it past the 1/8 round, when crowned in South Africa in 2010. Enrique did not care about past achievements and only focused on the next match. He also wanted Spain to play beautifully, instead of pragmatic to aim for victory.

"Our philosophy is very clear. We try to entertain the fans so that they have fun watching us. The players should not just play and win, but need to please the audience. ", emphasized Enrique.

Spain's next opponent - Morocco went from a draw with Croatia in the opening match, to a surprise victory over Belgium and then beat Canada in the last match to finish first. This is the first time an African team has won the group at the World Cup in 24 years, since Nigeria sent Spain home in the group stage in France in 1998.

According to Enrique, Morocco is euphoric and has great confidence after a spectacular group stage, but is confident Spain will reach the quarter-finals. "We have a clear idea," he added. "We don't have to overwhelm every opponent for 90 minutes. The World Cup is where the best teams are, and you have to face the best coaches and players."

Sharing his opinion with the teacher, Pedri said that Morocco is an unpleasant opponent, possessing a strong midfield to close all gaps. The 20-year-old midfielder also wants to turn the disappointment from the 1-2 defeat to Japan in the final round of the group stage into the joy of winning the quarter-finals.