Spain star Kike aiming to do it again

Spain player Kike hardly needs to add to his haul of honours - two FIFA Futsal World Cups, two UEFA European Futsal Championships, more than 100 caps and two Spanish titles with ElPozo Murcia FS, as well as being three-times league player of the year.

Team performance
On Saturday he was named Carlsberg Man of the Match for his sublime performance in helping his nation defeat Ukraine 6-2 in the opening game of their European title defence, scoring one goal and making two more. However, the 29-year-old was happy to share the credit with his colleagues. "It was a great team performance," Kike told uefa.com. "All the players contributed to this win. It's an important victory against difficult opponents. It's the first step for us to win this title again."

Challengers
No team has successfully defended this title but Spain showed they were more than capable of doing that by retaining the World Cup in Chinese Taipei three years ago, Kike opening the scoring in the final against Italy. "For Spain, there is no other objective than to win," Kike said. "We always give our best, as we don't have the luxury of resting on our laurels. Of course, we are both European and world champions. Therefore we have come to Portugal to defend our title, but everyone wants to win it, so it won't be easy."

High standard
Indeed, the tight 0-0 draw between hosts Portugal and the last team to beat Spain in this competition, Italy - not no mention Russia's 5-3 win against Serbia - showed that the holders' main rivals are in form. "The standard is very high," Kike said. "We saw a very cautious game between Portugal and Italy but I think from now on we will see more attacking football and I’m convinced we will see more goals for the fans to enjoy. Obviously I hope Spain win it again."

Serbian ability
To do that, they have to avoid slipping up on Monday against Serbia. Kike said: "I know that team quite well, because I played against most of their players in the UEFA Futsal Cup [when Murcia faced KMF Marbo Beograd]. Serbia have improved a lot. They are physically very strong, but also technically as well. Marko Perić is becoming very important in that team. I'm sure it will be a difficult game."