My game for my country!
Dani Olmo has already experienced plenty in his 26 years: He was formed in “La Masia”, FC Barcelona’s youth academy, he joined RB Leipzig in 2020 after a stint at Dinamo Zagreb. “El Mago” has also gone through a lot with the Spanish National Team. In the UEFA EURO 2021, Spain and Dani Olmo reached the semi finals, where they were knocked out by eventual winners, Italy. This time around, in Germany, he had a special match against his former adoptive home, Croatia (3-0) during the group stage.
In this video, Dani Olmo talks about his development and shares his thoughts on the Euros in Germany with the Spanish National Team.
“That’s my favorite memory”
The generation that had Xavi, Iniesta, and Xabi Alonso won everything for several years: World Champions and two European Champions. Now you’re an important part of the new generation. Is there a significant amount of pressure to play for such a successful country?
- “Of course, Spain has won plenty of things in the past decade, but this generation has already won the Nations League. It doesn’t really feel like pressure or an obligation, but we have a team that can fight for the trophy. There’s a lot more of gratification than pressure.
We have to keep playing like we’ve done recently. Ultimately, there are several national teams that play well, like Germany for instance. They have home advantage. If they perform well, they’ll have their fans behind them. It won’t be easy by any measure. But naturally we want a shot at being champions.”
What is your favorite memory from the last Euros?
- “One of the best memories was the game against Croatia, in the Round of 16 of the UEFA EURO 2021. It was the first time I played against them. After the 3-3 in regular time we had to go to extra time, where we won by 5-3.
I gave two assists in the extra time. It was really great, not just during the game but also after. I went over to the Spanish fans to thank them. But the Croatian fans were also nice to me and were grateful for my time at Dinamo Zagreb. It was truly special to experience the warmth, which is why I’m so fond of that memory.”
What could be Spain’s secret weapon in the Euros?
- “We have a new manager. I obviously won’t go too much into details regarding tactics, but we have more experience, after the last Euros, the World Cup, and the Nations League. We know this tournament quite well. The bottom line is we’re more complete and have more experience. That will give more confidence.“