No candidate for the European Championship gold three weeks ago.
Before the quarterfinal against Germany, the talk surrounding Spain is something else.
Now people think we're favorites, says Mikel Oyarzabal.
The Spanish forward has a clear picture in mind.
Before the European Championship finals in Germany, there was no talk of Spain being able to win the championship and fly home as the best European Championship nation with a total of four golds.
After the group stage – wins against Croatia, Italy, and Albania – and the round of 16 against Georgia, Mikel Oyarzabal has noticed a clear difference.
Now Spain is seen as the favorite, he explains.
They say that now, but three weeks ago, no one said that about us.
"Have the best players"
For the 27-year-old, it's nothing new.
He has always believed that the Spanish team can have a sparkling German summer, with the biggest party at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on July 14.
We have our playing idea, will continue in the same way and trust in what we can do. We know that we can match any team, he says.
For me, for all of us who are here, this is the best possible national team. We have the best players, the best teammates, and there are no divisions, everyone feels equally important.
"We believe in ourselves"
Oyarzabal says that the quarterfinal against Germany will be a tough meeting in Stuttgart, but is also convinced that the team will enter the match with strong self-confidence.
When the teams' two most recent duels – 1–1 in the 2022 World Championship in Qatar and primarily 6–0 in the Nations League 2020 – are mentioned, he quickly waves away the results.
A lot of time has passed since then, to draw conclusions from that match would not be fair. And would not be good for us, says Oyarzabal.
Germany is a fantastic team... But we believe in ourselves and are calm.
Spain, group stage: 3–0 Croatia, 1–0 Italy, 1–0 Albania. Round of 16: 4–1 Georgia.
Germany, group stage: 5–1 Scotland, 2–0 Hungary, 1–1 Switzerland. Round of 16: 2–0 Denmark.
