Sergio Busquets talks Luis Enrique, Lionel Messi, World Cup, and coaching career

Sergio Busquets talked to the media ahead of the FIFA World Cup later this month, clarifying his thoughts on his selection in the team while hailing the efforts of manager Luis Enrique.

Busquets talked about the importance of his experience as well, suggesting that he would try to offer advice to the younger players in the team. “I try to give advice, I already did it in the European Championship. We didn’t start in the best way and I tried to contribute my grain of sand: explain situations, reassure my teammates,” he said (h/t Diario SPORT).

The Barcelona midfielder went on to praise Enrique, labelling him as the ‘true leader of the team’.

“He is the one who knows each one and knows what they can contribute, the one who prepares the matches, the one who convinces us of the idea of ​​the game and its reasons, with facts and explanations. We are to death with him,” he added.

Busquets further believes that it is important for the Spanish players to combine as a team in their effort to restore the nation’s World Cup crown. He said football is a sport ‘in which everyone has to add up’.

“Then it’s clear that if you have a player like Messi, who can solve a game for you, then spectacular, but we don’t have him, and what we have to do is base our strength on the collective, on putting (individual) qualities at the service of the group,” he said.

But the midfielder clarified that he would be happy if his close friend and former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi wins the coveted tournament, as he would for any other current or former teammate with whom he has a good relationship with.

“Until they have options, let Spain win,” he said when asked about Messi winning the World Cup. He will be happy ‘for any teammate with whom have a good relationship and have lived great moments‘.

Busquets added that Argentine and Brazilian teams can be forces to be reckoned with and good rival the European teams in the upcoming World Cup.

“They have a more solid team and individualities that place them at the level of the European ones. They are quite favourites,” he said.

Busquets’ selection to the Spain national team was a point of contention for many. But the midfielder adds that players can extend their careers if they can keep up with schedules and work hard on their fitness.

“You have to be very well prepared to spend so much time on the front line, passing continuous exams. Of course, you can play until a fairly advanced age; despite the fact that the calendar is very demanding and very hard; everything has evolved: physically, in food, in the diet, which is now taken more into account. Now there is more aid to lengthen the races,” he said.

Finally, Busquets floated the idea of potentially becoming a coach after he decides to retire from professional football, adding, “If I train well, if I find a coaching staff, if I find an experience that I like and I think it works and I’m worth it. Because you can want to, but then there are more things: lead a group, manage it, transmit. I think I’m going to try”.