Unai Simon: Pedri and Yamal are both magicians on the ball, and the players energy is close to the limit

In an exclusive interview with "AS", Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon talked about Raya, Yamal, Pedri and some topics about himself.

What do you think about the fact that there is only one Spanish goalkeeper on the candidate list for the best goalkeeper-Raya?

- This is good because the level of international competition is very high and it is not easy to be selected. I'm happy for Raya, he had a great season last season and had a great season at Arsenal with amazing numbers. Raya deserves to be among the best goalkeepers in the world.

What do you think about Spain’s selection of only Pedri and Yamal as non-goalkeeper candidates?

- Before the final roster was finalized, more Spanish players were selected, as were the goalkeepers. Personally, I would take the entire national team because we have a lot of good players who can compete with any of the candidates.

Pedri and Yamal are both magicians with the ball, and they both deserve to be on this list. As captain, I have to vote, and if I could, I would vote for all the national team players, including Raya, Pedri and Yamal. But I guess they don't allow you to vote for your teammates.

Since he cannot vote for his compatriots, will he vote for Courtois?

——As long as Courtois maintains his current level, there is no doubt that he is the best goalkeeper in the world. If Courtois can't save the ball, none of us can save it. It's impossible to find a better goalkeeper.

What type of goalkeeper are you? Is it understated or flashy?

——I strive to be perfect in all aspects: goal-line technique, attack, foot technique...but what I pursue is balance, because you cannot be perfect in all aspects. The important thing is reliability and consistency, and I think goalkeepers like Courtois, Raya or Oblak are excellent in every aspect. My goal is to remain consistent and become one of the goalkeepers the team trusts.

Many years ago, Menotti told me that he felt that having a good goalkeeper and a good shooter on the team would make coaching easier for him. He believes that the essence of football is to save and score goals, while the other nine just need to create space...

- Well, I can't say that. But I remember Real Madrid won the Champions League with Courtois’ save and Benzema’s goal. In that game against Liverpool, they decided the game, just like in other knockout stages. But they couldn't have done it without the cooperation of their teammates.

Nowadays, the teams are very close in strength. Putting everything on one or two players does not guarantee victory. Either you play all eleven players or you just leave it to fate.

Considering that the number of matches in this World Cup will increase from 64 to 104 in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, do you think FIFA should expand the World Cup roster from 26 to 30?

- The problem with expanding the roster is that some players may have little chance to play and be unavailable all summer. Yes, the goal is to win the World Cup and the rewards are huge. But of course, this is difficult to do.

Obviously, the schedule is so tight that it is close to the limit. Conflicts between clubs and federations are increasing, and not just in Spain. Do you have any solution?

- I don't know what to do. I fully understand that football is a show and games must be provided for the fans, after all they are the ones who pay for the tickets and enjoy the games. But the energy of our players is close to the limit, and we also have a ceiling. There will come a time when we can't stand it anymore. Just like La Liga is going to put the game in Miami, it all depends on protests and speaking out.

When you reach the finals of every competition, playing 70 or 75 games is just too heavy. This is ridiculous and the solution is to avoid getting to that point and have everyone sit down and talk and find a suitable solution.