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Warwick Smith/Stuff
An ESPN reporter claimed the Spanish Football World Cup team left Palmerston North due to boredom – a claim the team denied.
A reporter says he “may have caused an international incident’’ by claiming Spain had moved their FIFA Women’s World Cup base to Wellington because they found Palmerston North too boring.
Spain’s coach Jorge Vilda has come to the defence of the city, saying the team was “very pleased” with Palmerston North and they were treated like a real family during their stay.
“We were very pleased with Palmerston North. We were very pleased with the treatment we received inside and outside of the hotel,” Vilda said on Sunday.
“They have treated us as a real family and I believe it was an excellent situation to give our best. The family members that travelled were able to be there as a group which also helps the team.”
An initial ESPN report said the city’s “lack of things to do” had “taken its toll” on the players of La Roja and their families, and they decamped early to a training base in Wellington.
The comment, published on ESPN, led to Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith telling Stuff that he would invite Spain back to see “the true highlights’’ of Manawatū. He later said he’d be happy to host them “for free”.
ESPN reporter Samuel Marsden, who wrote the initial report, has spoken out on social media:
“So, I may have caused an international incident. Be kind,” he wrote.
“I published a line on ESPN on Friday about Spain’s move from their training base in Palmerston North to Wellington.
”The information was based on reports from reliable sources. However, it does not reflect Spain’s official reason for moving which is to do with logistics ahead of possible KO [knockout] games.”
He then repeated Spain’s media officer Patricia Pérez quote about the move being aimed to be closer to Wellington stadium.
Pérez previously said it was “definitely not true” that the team were bored in Palmerston North.
Marsden is a football writer based in Barcelona, working for ESPN and Diario Sport.
Ricky Wilson/Stuff
Jennifer Hermoso thanks Alexia Putellas for handing her an easy goal in Spain’s World Cup match against Zambia in Auckland.
Meanwhile, Spain have been anything but boring on the pitch.
They put up a World Cup record 46 shots in their 3-0 win over Costa Rica in their first match, before routing Zambia 5-0 in their second match.
Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
Alexia Putellas of Spain controls the ball against Katherine Alvarado of Costa Rica.
Monday’s clash against Japan will pit together two of the tournament’s most technically-talented teams. Japan also smashed Zambia by five goals before beating Costa Rica 2-0.
“It’s the most complicated match [of the group],” Vilda added. “They are a very good team that interprets the game well, has high quality players, tactically they are very well trained and it’s a team that can exert pressure so I’m expecting a game not like the previous two.
“They’re going to have their moments and we’re going to have ours, and the difference could be the team that is better in the final third.”
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