Santi Denia says he respects referees after disallowed goal

“The disallowed goal? I always respect referees.” Speaking at a press conference at the Carlos Tartiere, Czech Republic coach Santi Denia responded to a goal for his team being ruled out that would have made it 2-2. The first Spanish coach to face Spain in a qualifying match, he said he did not want to dwell on the officiating: “I respect the referee. It’s a very difficult job. I don’t like talking about them. Pablo told me he had called an earlier foul. In the match, with nerves, there are protests. Nothing more.”

Denia also praised his squad’s commitment: “We are very proud of the work. The players gave everything. This is the way forward.” He said he was pleased with the team’s work and performance, and noted that Slama was improving. In his view, commitment matters most and this difficult Nations League experience could help the team in the future; he added that there was room to improve, starting with himself.

Asked about his feelings, the coach said there had not been time to do much. He spoke of his 12-year friendship with Luis and of difficult moments, describing the current period as a honeymoon that everyone should make the most of. Denia also noted the special significance of the match for him: he became the first Spanish coach to face Spain in a qualifying match.