FIFA U-17 World Cup final: Spanish colts are motivating themselves with a WhatsApp message

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Kolkata, Oct 28: Despite having reached the final of under-17 World Cup four times they have not yet been able to lift the coveted trophy.

This time before their fourth appearance in the under-17 World Cup final at Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday night Spanish boys have an interesting way of keeping themselves motivated.

The footballers have created a universal language WhatsApp group. All the footballers watch and read the messages before every match in the ongoing World Cup.

Even according to a source close to Spain’s support staff, the footballers read them before they go to bed every night as well as before they enter the ground for training.

The message written by them is '100 percent India!’ Coach Santiago Denia while speaking to a couple of reporters around half-an-hour after the training on Friday evening explained, “In the last Under-17 Euro Cup, held a couple of months ago we defeated England and lifted the trophy. But since then England have improved a lot. They are one of the best teams in this World Cup. Their strength so far, I have watched, is that this team never chokes in the dying minutes of the match.

"That is why, after defeating Mali in the semifinal, I stressed on keeping the footballers motivated. So they all have written the line '100 percent India’ which means they must have to deliver 100 percent in each and every match in India in the ongoing World Cup.”

When asked about their senior team’s glorious performance in the past, Denia who himself had donned shirts of Atletico De Madrid in the 70s, said, “Spain had won Euro Cup in 2008. Then won World Cup in 2010 and then again achieved Euro Cup in 2012. I always tell the story of glorious Spanish football and the colts also seem to be determined in following the footsteps of Xavi, Iniesta, Torres, and Pyol, who were instrumental in bringing the glory for the country.”