Spain favourites against Argentina; Messi magic at 39 a surprise: Manolo Marquez

Kolkata, Jul 17 (PTI) Spain are favourites to beat Argentina in the upcoming World Cup final, and their biggest strength is not just their style of play but the "continuity" built into their football system, believes Spanish manager and former India coach Manolo Marquez. Reigning European winners Spain will take on Copa America holders and world champions Argentina at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday in a blockbuster final that will also bring together two generations of football royalty -- 39-year-old Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players in history, going up against Spain's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, widely seen as his heir apparent. Luis de la Fuente's Spain started the tournament slowly but grew stronger with every match, producing their most convincing performance in a 2-0 semifinal victory over pre-tournament favourites France. With Yamal providing attacking spark and 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri controlling midfield after returning from injury, Spain have emerged as the more complete side, according to Márquez. "Spain have more possibilities," Márquez told PTI in an exclusive interview from Barcelona. "The thing that can save Argentina is that they are very competitive and their character -- and this kind of thing that is not only football. It is also football. "In football there is the famous word that I hate, 'tiki-taka'. It's not only about this. Football has other things: set pieces, defending in a good way. "But finally, I think Spain are favourites and they will win it." Managing egos and keeping continuity =========================== Marquez believes Spain's success under De la Fuente is a result of years of planning rather than a sudden turnaround. "Not just because he's the coach," he said, adding: "De la Fuente was sacked from a third-division club in Spain before he arrived at the Spanish Football Federation, where he worked for a long time. "He coached the U-19s and the U-21s, and most of these players are the same. Obviously, when you lose and a club sacks you, you're considered the worst. When you're winning, you're considered the best. "I think De la Fuente's role in the national team has been very important because, in the end, it's about managing the egos in these kinds of teams." According to Marquez, continuity is a rare commodity in modern football which has been Spain's biggest advantage. "Yes, because there is one word that in modern football is almost impossible -- continuity," he said, adding that agents are the biggest "culprits". "Now, with agents and players, if one club offers a player three, another 10 and another offers eleven (seasons), they don't think too much about the team that is offering ten, even if they are playing every game there. Maybe they become a little richer with eleven, but maybe they don't play. "Finally, Spain is about continuity. De la Fuente was the coach not only of the senior team but also the U-19s and U-21s. Spain have a lot of the same players progressing through the system, and now they are in the final. "This is the real key and this is the work that most national teams need to do." Márquez said Spain's model offers lessons for traditional football powers struggling to rebuild, pointing to Italy's absence from recent World Cups. "I don't find an explanation for why Italy have missed the last three World Cups. Maybe they need to start a process and work in a way that will take time, but eventually the results will appear." Messi continues to surprise =================== While Spain's youngsters have impressed, Márquez believes Messi's continued brilliance has been one of the biggest surprises of the tournament. "Messi, obviously, for me... I think it's a surprise for everyone, not because his level isn't top, because obviously his level is top," he said. "For me, if he's not the best player in history, maybe he's second alongside Maradona and Pele. Those are the top three. "But at 39 years old, he's still showing incredible quality. He's very clever. He's not a physical player, so he only runs when he needs to run. "Even yesterday, the second goal was with his right foot, even though he's very, very left-footed. Obviously, maybe, yes, he's still the most decisive player." Marquez also reserved special praise for 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, whose return from a serious injury has helped Spain find balance in midfield. "Rodri had a big injury during the season. If you compare him with other players who have played 60 or 70 games during the season, he arrived fresher than most of them. "At this moment, along with some other players, he's maybe one of the best -- if not the best -- central midfielders in the world." Marquez also admitted that the tournament has not been without controversy, especially around VAR and refereeing decisions. "Listen, polemic and controversy will always exist in football. And the decisions will always be 75 per cent for the strong teams," he said. "It's not only this situation you are speaking about with Argentina and Egypt. "What do you think about England against Norway when the ball touched the cable? "Or suddenly they say that the ball has a chip. But in that moment, the chip didn't show that the ball touched the cable. "What I want to say with this is that controversy and these kinds of things will always exist." He added that Argentina and Spain reaching the final was not because of refereeing decisions. "FIFA prefer Argentina-England rather than Norway-Switzerland. I think that. "But obviously, Argentina and Spain are not in the final because of referees. "VAR helps the referee. But finally, the decisions of VAR are also made by people. "It's not only about the offside. It's about penalties. It's about what the person in the VAR room decides. "And then it's very difficult. I repeat, the same controversy and polemic will always be there in football," he signed off. PTI TAP TAP AH AH