Spain captain Álvaro Morata attended the pre-match press conference for the first round of World Cup Qualifiers, where La Roja will face Bulgaria away.
How are you feeling physically and mentally?
I’m delighted to be with the national team and kick off our World Cup journey. Qualifying for the World Cup isn’t as easy as everyone thinks—history is full of examples of strong teams missing out on the final tournament. When the national team calls, I’ll come no matter what, even if it’s just to carry the team’s equipment. I’m in good shape, I’m ready, and I’ll give my all.
Do you feel your journey with the national team is starting to count down?
If the coach selects me, I’ll go to the World Cup. I’ve been through tough times, but I’m in a good place now. The greatest thing I’ve experienced as a player is representing my country. Whether I’m on the pitch or in the stands, I’ll continue to give my all for the national team without reservation.
Right now, I see the match against Bulgaria as another chance to play for my country, and I’m also looking forward to the World Cup—it’s an incredible thing.
A month ago, you criticized your former club Galatasaray when you left Istanbul. Do you regret that?
I had a great time at Galatasaray, but these kinds of things happen in many places. When you have to leave, there are always things you wish wouldn’t happen. The fans and the club staff have nothing to do with what that statement was about—they treated me well and didn’t deserve to be caught up in that, and I didn’t deserve to go through that either. That’s why it was better to delete that statement.
I was happy in Turkey until I said I wanted to leave. Those last few days were hard to put into words, but it’s all in the past now, and the Turkish fans are still great.
Why is your position the only one without a backup in the squad?
There’s competition for my position too, and I’ll do my best. Some young players are starting to emerge, like Samu and Gonzalo. We should congratulate the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF)—they’ve done an excellent job in this regard. We should be happy because Spain has a bright future. This is also a nice problem to have for the coach, because he can basically field three different lineups.
There are many players in this team who can get into goal-scoring positions—not just me, but also Ferran, Oyarzabal, Olmo… lots of them. But the best thing about this team is that we’re a unit. I’ve had many great players as role models, like Silva and Cesc (Fàbregas). I’ve sat on the bench with them before, and you can still help the team from the bench. No matter where you are, you should always do your part.
Is fighting for a starting spot a challenge?
The more options there are for each position, the better it is for the national team. Spain has so many solutions, which makes it harder for our opponents. I hope we can maintain this level—this is the level at which we won the European Championship. Besides, you can’t find two or three other players with my style anyway.
What’s your impression of Bulgarian legend Hristo Stoichkov?
He’s a great striker. As a fan, I was really excited to see him visit Spain’s training base. In my mind, he’s a legendary player, and he’s still in such good shape that he could keep playing.
