Spain manager Del Bosque to treat Scotland with respect
Levein and Spain coach Del Bosque will come face to face again in October
By Alasdair Lamont in Madrid
The man who will attempt to emulate Spain's Euro 2008 success in this summer's World Cup admits he knows very little about the Scottish side his team will face in the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers.
But Vicente del Bosque, in time-honoured tradition, insists the Scots will pose his players problems when they meet at Hampden in October.
Del Bosque told BBC Scotland that Group I was "very open" and that "every rival must be treated with respect".
The Czech Republic, Lithuania and Liechtenstein are the other countries who will vie for qualification.
The Spanish manager, who also steered Real Madrid to a record ninth European Cup at Hampden in 2002, was unfamiliar with the background of his Scottish counterpart Craig Levein or any of the current squad.
But he was quick to underline that was not a sign of disrespect and that, by the time the teams meet later this year, he will be fully appraised of the Scots' strengths and weaknesses.
In fairness, he has far more pressing commitments as he attempts to strengthen his team's claim to the title of the world's best team in South Africa.
But if that expectation is weighing heavily upon his shoulders, there was no sign of it as he took time to speak to BBC Scotland in Madrid, following the meeting to decide the dates of fixtures for the Euro 2012 qualifiers.
"We don't know much about the Scottish team, although we have an idea of what Scottish football is generally like," said Del Bosque.
"We're also aware of the two clubs who always lead the Scottish League - Celtic and Rangers.
"We know all about the typical style of British football - direct, aggressive, strong, very competitive - and British teams will always cause you problems."
Though that assessment of the Scots' style is riddled with cliché, it may also represent the type of approach most likely to yield a positive result against Del Bosque's world-class outfit.
Asked if Scotland's victories over France in the last European Championship qualifiers might serve as a warning against complacency for his team, he stressed: "We have to be wary of each of our opponents.
Del Bosque has the likes of David Silva and Fernando Torres at his disposal
"World football these days is much more balanced in terms of the overall quality of teams, so we can't under-estimate anyone, much less a team like Scotland, who definitely aren't easy opponents."
Del Bosque would not be drawn on who he felt was likely to finish second in the group behind his side.
"We may start the group as favourites, given that we're ranked number one in the world right now, but things can change once you're on the pitch," he added.
"So I wouldn't say we're out-and-out favourites."
But he did admit that Spain were in an enviable position, given the talent available to him.
"We're very fortunate because, no matter what happens at the World Cup, I don't think it will mean the end of an era," he continued.
"I think almost all of the players currently in the squad will remain available and there are also younger guys pushing for a place."
Del Bosque, assuming he is still the manager when the European Championship qualifiers come around, is hopeful of reviving some great memories of Scotland when Spain visit at the beginning of October.
"The night we won the Champions League in Glasgow was very special," he recalled.
"It was Real Madrid's ninth victory in the competition, and it was won by that incredible goal by Zinedine Zidane.
"I also played against Celtic many years ago, and although we were beaten in Glasgow, I have great memories of the crowd and the passion.
"I hope to see that again this time."
There's little doubt the Scotland supporters will relish seeing some of the world's best players in action at Hampden, though they would prefer to see them wearing blue shirts.
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