The long wait to redeem themselves after missing the last two editions of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™ must have felt like an eternity for Spain. For a team accustomed to competing for top honours in the discipline, the extended absence from the world stage was especially painful. But La Roja are now back with a bang and heading to Russia 2021 as European champions. And the man who steered them there is former international Christian Mendez, who kept goal for Spain 113 times before hanging up his gloves in 2018. Combining his coaching duties with his job as a police officer, he had spells in charge of the men’s U-21 and women’s national teams before moving up from assistant to head coach of the senior men’s team in October 2020. FIFA.com caught up with him for a chat about the road to Moscow and his team’s expectations there. FIFA.com: Christian, what does it mean for the Spanish national team to be heading to a Beach Soccer World Cup after two editions on the sidelines? Christian Mendez: It is very satisfying from a collective standpoint, but also for all the people who’ve been working for this group. We had some very difficult years in terms of results for the players as well as on the coaching side. Ultimately, it’s another step forward thanks to all the work that’s been done to date.  Looking back at the qualifying event, what qualities best exemplified Spain? Sacrifice, humility and a desire to work for each other. We have a very battle-hardened and tough side that never gives in. We’ve added togetherness, strength and camaraderie to a team that was very aggressive tactically and extremely rigorous. And then, of course, we're fortunate to have very skilled players and not depend on any one individual. [In qualifying] we used at least one different player in each game. 

In football tournaments, there are often matches that can change a team. Was there such a turning point for Spain during qualifying, and was it the Italy game? For us it was the match we lost 4-3 to Belarus in the group phase. We were battling for top spot in the group and theoretically a more manageable team in the next round. And while there are no easy opponents, the options were Germany, 38th in the world, or Italy, the former World Cup runners-up and fourth-place finishers in 2017. So obviously you prefer the team ranked 38th to that ranked fourth. And that was the game where everything changed, because we missed a penalty after just 15 seconds then got hit on the break for the fourth goal that left us second in the group. With Italy up next we had to change our mindset completely. We had it very tough against them and were 3-1 down after four minutes. We cut the deficit then levelled at 3-3, only to be a man short for two minutes. The conclusion was a minor epic, with Italy being awarded a foul very close to our area with just 18 seconds left. However, they failed to score from it, giving us a chance to respond and grab the winner. We achieved our main objective, which was to qualify for the World Cup. By the time we faced Belarus again in the semis, the team were playing really well, and we qualified emphatically for the final, which we won by defeating a Ukraine side that had just eliminated the Portuguese. The coaching staff have a big part to play too as they’re the ones who make sure the players know what to do when they take to the sand… During training sessions, I explain to each player individually what I want from them during offensive and defensive passages of play, when we’re winning and losing, if there are four minutes left, three minutes left, etc. I get them to play three 12-minute games, not one game of three periods, and I watch all of them. We think short-term and rotate the players constantly. 

Looking ahead to the World Cup, how would assess your group opponents? The toughest team we currently have to face are Mozambique. They’re a very strong side who have beaten Egypt and Morocco. They have some very fast and pulsating players, but they can be disjointed tactically. They also possess players who are very powerful physically, so it is not like playing Russia and Belarus, where you can have a strategy to try to neutralise them. Then there’s Tahiti, a completely different team. With very good ball control, they’ve twice been beaten finalists at this event and have world-class technique. They also have players in the best leagues in Europe. And finally we have United Arab Emirates. They’re a team that mixes youth and experience very well. They have a good skill level, are physically tough and tactically astute. Plus they have a lot of experience playing against top European and world teams. Of course, our rivals also have to think about us and have to consider us a force as well. What will it take for this team to go far at this World Cup? We’re leaving no stone unturned and are getting great support from our federation. For example, we’re incorporating GPS tracking devices that allow us to analyse the players’ individual output. Then, of course, you need a slice of luck. Although luck is also about knowing how to effectively use the resources at your disposal to achieve success. On top of that, there's our great coaching team of professionals and a squad of players with great conviction. This group can achieve very big things, as they’ve already shown by qualifying as European champions. 

Finally, how do you feel heading into your first World Cup as a coach? I feel a lot of emotion. Right now, I'm already nervous. There’s a lot of responsibility and it’s something we’ve been working towards for a long time. But that nervousness translates into ambition, into enthusiasm, into conveying everything possible to the players and instilling in them my utmost confidence. I’m very content and happy. I haven't achieved this on my own – I'm just one more link in a chain of players, coaching staff and the federation. There is a huge difference between being a player and a coach. Being a player involves training for two hours, after which you forget everything. Being a coach means staying up to speed on the players, coaching staff, the games you’ve played, your upcoming opponents, even what happens to your players when not with you.