Unai Simon: I want Yamal to come to the national team, but if he is not in the best condition, I hope he rests

In an exclusive interview with "AS", Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon talked about some of the current situation of the national team, player injuries and schedule arrangements.

As the captain of the national team, do you think it is necessary for Barcelona and the Spanish Football Federation to sit down and mediate on the Yamal incident?

- No, I don't think so. Ultimately, we are discussing only the specific case of Yamal. We have to boil it down to what De La Fuente said, which is that he wants players who enter the national team to be 100 percent fit. We all hope that Yamal can come, but if he cannot perform at his best, as captain, I first hope that he can have a good rest, recover and be in top condition for the final against Argentina in March.

You yourself also played injured in the European Cup. You underwent surgery after injuring your wrist, and then missed the club's games for several weeks. Does this cause problems for Athletic Bilbao?

- They were concerned that I had surgery after my return and then was out for five months. My original plan for Athletic Bilbao was to have surgery in September, when I injured my wrist, to rehab, and then come back in February. But coach Valverde has other ideas and I totally understand.

So I decided to continue playing through the injury, taking the risk of missing the end of the season and possibly even affecting the European Cup. In any case, I have to be out for five months, which may be from September to February, or from July to December, which is actually from July to December.

The worst thing that could happen to me would be to not be able to continue playing in March, during the season when I won the Zamora, the Copa del Rey with Bilbao and the European Cup with the national team. But I persevered, I made sacrifices, and while I can understand some people might be unhappy thinking I could recover during the Euros, it was a personal decision that I didn't regret.

Clubs, all clubs, have a hard time understanding that players also have national team careers...

- Some people don't think so because they only focus on the interests of the club, and that's because they don't see the reality that our players face. Regardless, it's a view that should be respected, and I don't blame them for it.

Nico Williams was injured with the national team, causing him to miss four games. In these four games, Athletic Bilbao has not won a single game. Nico has since returned to club action, including Sunday's game against Oviedo, but has not been called up to the national team again. So, what exactly happened?

- In fact, Nico is suffering from a groin injury, similar to Yamal's situation, which prevents him from playing with the intensity that he and his coach expect. Although the victory in Mallorca was important, Nico also suffered an injury during that game and did not train all week.

Sunday's game against Oviedo was a risky choice for him, as he played through injury and ultimately settled the game. However, he did not travel with the national team this week and stayed in Bilbao to recover to ensure a full recovery.

From this perspective, can we also understand the situation in Yamal?

- The situation is different between the two, because Nico has not played the full 90 minutes in a game. He usually only lasts 60 or 70 minutes, and that period is very painful for him because he wants to help the team, even playing through injuries. Yamal was injured again in the latest game and therefore did not appear here. Nico only played one game and didn't play the full game.

The final between European champion Spain and American champion Argentina will be held in the Middle East on March 27. What do you think of this?

- I'm not sure exactly why, but I think it's probably because of economics. The last time the final was held at Wembley Stadium, it was very effective, but now it has been moved to Qatar. I think a reasonable arrangement would be to have the tournament be held in Europe or America. I always think the fans come first. This is my principle and it is also the principle of Athletic Bilbao.

If I were a fan of Athletic Bilbao and saw that the Super Cup was moved to an Arab country and only 2,000 people could go to watch it instead of 40,000 or 50,000 people, I don’t think it would be appropriate. And those who have been there are reluctant to go there again after seeing the actual conditions. For example, my family has been there, they saw what it was like, and they won't go there again.

As for moving the game to Miami, if Athletic Bilbao is involved, 50,000 members may miss the game and be unable to enjoy the fun of the game. The best thing is to play at your home stadium in front of your own fans. The same goes for the final in Qatar. However, there are other factors at play.

What are your expectations for Spain's performance in the World Cup, assuming it can qualify?

- First, we must defeat Georgia, and that cannot be forgotten. Once we get through, it's important to realize the quality of the national team, we've just won the Nations League and we're also European Cup winners. Obviously, Spain's goal is not just to qualify from the group, but to compete with the strongest teams, strive for victory and enter the finals. Even if we lose on penalties, as we did in Qatar, we should give it our all and leave no regrets.