Athletic Club and Spain -goalkeeper Unai Simon was set up by the Spanish national team for the press, but got the headlines for the only question he decided not to answer. An earlier run-in with the Fernando Burgos of Onda Cero at Euro 2024 was behind his decision not to do this.
Simon answered questions from the collected media at the base of Spain in Las Rozas Base when Burgos asked if it was necessary to have a sports director for the national team. Simon, however, rejected him, as quoted by relevant.
“Fernando, with all due respect, for our colleagues and everyone else, after what happened between us at the euros, I will not answer any of your questions, okay?”
Their history goes back to the euros in Germany, when La Roja got closely on top of that Mannschaft and she had beaten 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Burgos asked him the following question.
“We have never defeated a host country. Moreover, at their house, and with football that I didn't know if you expected it, which was terribly dirty.” Simon confused the comment about the performance of Spain and asked that statement.
“Did I say something about you or about all of you? Do you think I am able to say that Spain has played dirty football? I think because they have had nine yellow cards and wounded Pedri,” Burgos replies.
“I am surprised that you would even say that about them. I don't think they played dirty. We didn't stop the game when Kroos had problems. Later we put the ball out because Nacho was in trouble, and Kroos gave it back to us. That is an example of what Toni is and what Germany is. I think it was a dirty game.”
Simon, clearly full of question and then continued in the mix zone. Burgos did not, however. Later in the broadcast, Burgos Simon would continue for his reaction and call the Spain number one 'pathetic'.
“He is a march and he can't come here with that attitude. It makes me angry to ask questions like this. It is pathetic and regrettable. He shouldn't come here anymore. I don't even want to see him,” Burgos noted.
The other comment from the memorandum of Simon's press conference prior to their Nations League collision with the Netherlands was about former athletic teammate Inigo Martinez. After being diagnosed with a knee injury, the defender of Barcelona withdrew from the Spain team, but it was talked about that he did not want to attend the matches.
“I didn't speak to him, but I think it's wrong to doubt a player like Inigo Martinez,” Simon explained. “If the club has issued a medical report that he was injured, it is disrespectful to ignore the player and it question the Barcelona's medical team. He really wanted to come here, but he was not able to go because of his injury. It is a lack of respect that a teammate does not deserve.”
As it was, Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen was called from the team under 21 to take the place of Martinez. The 33-year-old is in good shape for the Blaugrana and played a key role in their 4-2 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday evening. Spain is facing the Netherlands in Rotterdam on Thursday evening at 8:45 PM in the first stage of their quarterfinals.
Comments