Meléndez calls for show of spirit

Although expectations are high as he prepares to take sole charge at a UEFA European Championship for the first time, Spain coach Ginés Meléndez believes his side will have to show their fighting qualities if they are to triumph at the Under-19 finals in Poland.

'High hopes'
The 56-year-old guided his team through the Elite round in impressive fashion with Spain winning all three Group 7 fixtures, scoring 15 goals in defeating Sweden, Cyprus and Germany to progress. Having been drawn alongside Iberian rivals Portugal, Turkey and Scotland in Group B in the finals, Meléndez is under no illusions as to the challenge ahead. "We have high hopes, yet we have been placed in a very difficult section," he told uefa.com. "This is the tougher group because we know all about Turkey after they won the European U17 Championship last year and have a good team, while Scotland finished ahead of France in the Elite round and Portugal are always our main rivals."

Lofty standards
The Spanish are always one of the most attractive sides to watch, although the coach admits a more pragmatic approach could be needed this time. "To qualify from the group, we will have to fight very hard," he said. "It is going to be difficult for all the teams, but we're confident because we have a strong squad and a lot of young players that are playing at a very high level. We always look to the players who are maybe a year younger than most. It doesn't matter to us if they're U18s - if they have the quality then we help them move forward."

Difficult task
Having been on the coaching staff when Armando Ufarte's men lifted the trophy in 2004, Meléndez knows exactly what is required. "We want to progress without making a lot of noise, like we did in Switzerland," he said. "We have to be calm, prepare well and then we will go to Poland feeling confident, but knowing it will be very difficult. Turkey have a very strong team, we do not know much about Scotland but we must bear in mind that they qualified ahead of France, while games between Spain and Portugal are always special. We play them a lot at youth level, they're always big games, and Portugal have a good team this year."

Long association
There is no one better placed to assess his players' strengths and weaknesses than Meléndez, who has worked with this group for almost five years. "I have known this team since they were 14 years old. Gerard Piqué is a great central defender, Esteban Granero and Marc Pedraza are strong midfielders, while Javi García has a lot of experience for his age. Above all, up front the quality of Jeffren Suárez from [FC] Barcelona and [Sevilla FC's] Diego Capel is very important."

Strong structure
Having won the U19 title twice in its first four seasons in addition to one victory in the U18 event and six U16 successes, Spain certainly have the pedigree and their coach has no doubt where the credit should lie. "The clubs work hard with young players but more than anything our success is down to the structure of the Spanish Football Federation's competitions. We have regional area championships and many youth competitions. Practically, we have control over all the players. A young Spanish player gains maturity at an early age because they are always playing in strong tournaments." Another contest awaits in Poland, and Spain expects once more.