In an exclusive interview with Flashscore, Paco analyses Sunday's Spain vs Saudi Arabia match and looks back on his time with the national team.
What is Paco Jemez doing now after his time in the Premier League?
"Right now, I'm taking a bit of a break, but watching a lot of football at the World Cup, as you would expect, and also enjoying some time and doing things I can't do when I'm working. Now, I'm making the most of being with my family and playing a bit of golf, which I had really neglected. I'm also already looking at the situation to see if I can keep coaching and if there's a project that interests me."
Would your idea be to work as a head coach or as an assistant?
"No, being an assistant was just a one-off thing I did. I did it with Nuno, since it was a short-term situation and very motivating because I got to experience the Premier League from the inside. That doesn't mean I couldn't do it again, but for now, I'm looking more for a project as a head coach."
You are currently part of Leyendas Espana (the official non-profit organisation that represents and supports all former and active players of the Spanish national football team), right?
"That's right, we're in Caceres, where we're going to play a match in support of ALS patients. We're hoping to get a lot of people to the stadium and raise a lot of money to help study and fight this terrible disease. We're already here in Caceres, getting ready to head to the stadium in a little while."
From your time as a player with Spain, everyone remembers you from that legendary EURO 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands, with that epic match, the 4-3 against Yugoslavia at the Jan Breydel Stadion in Bruges, and then the elimination against France in the quarter-finals. Tell us how you remember that tournament.
"It was a wonderful experience, wasn't it? My first international tournament with the national team, and honestly, we went in with a lot of excitement because we had a fantastic squad. That match against Yugoslavia was incredible, because only a win would do for us and in the end, with that victory, both teams were able to advance to the next round.
"And it was an extremely intense match. I remember it being very tense, and there was a lot of pressure because of the result. And then, of course, we came up against France. I think we played a great game against possibly the best national team in the world at that time.
"That team ended up being European champions and then world champions. It was a match where I think we never lost our focus. A lot came down to a penalty we missed against them, which I think would have tied the game and made things much more difficult for them. But in the end, they prevailed, they were the ones who went through, and we had to go back to Spain."
'I'm very grateful to the national team and to Camacho'
You were part of a generation that could have gone down in history. There was a lot of quality with the likes of Hierro, Luis Enrique, Guardiola, Mendieta, Raul, but the quarter-final barrier always appeared, until it was finally broken in 2008...
"Yes, yes. Every time Spain has gone to an international tournament, they've always had squads of a very high level and have always been among the favourites to reach the final. It's true that it took a few years for that to happen, but Spain has always had good players, because the level here is very high.
"And that year and that season were no different. We had a team not just with big names, but with very good professionals in terms of experience and what they'd achieved at their clubs, even outside Spain. There were a lot of expectations on us, and honestly, at that time, along with France and maybe one or two other teams, we were the favourites to reach the final of that Euros.
"We had to face France along the way, one of the best French teams we've ever seen. And as I said, if we had scored that penalty Raul missed, who knows what would have happened. But it's true that things would have been much more even, and we probably would have been much more competitive."
Do you feel any regret about not being able to play in a World Cup, since in 2002 you were a regular during the qualifiers?
"Yes, yes, especially because I played the whole qualifying campaign and in the end I wasn't on the final list. But the time I spent with the national team, which was over three years, was fantastic. I was able to make a dream come true, which is to play for your country. I think it's one of the most important achievements an athlete can have.
"And I was very lucky to do it, to spend more than three years with the national team. And even though I couldn't go to that World Cup after playing all the qualifiers, I'm very grateful to the national team and especially to (Jose Antonio) Camacho, who was the coach who trusted me. It was possibly the best period of my sporting career."
'We'll show a better side against Saudi Arabia'
Let's talk about the present, the 2026 World Cup. The feeling after Spain's first match against Cape Verde wasn't great. Do you see any parallels with what happened in the round of 16 in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 under other coaches? A match with a lot of dominance, a lot of technical superiority, but lacking finishing...
"Yes. It was a match where, at first, everyone thought the result wouldn't be in doubt. And in football, you have to be very careful about what you say before the game starts, because even though there was a big difference, and Spain should have won based on chances, on play, and everything else, in the end, we couldn't find that first goal to give us some calm and manage the game better.
"And in the end, the result got away from us a bit. I think now, against Saudi Arabia, we'll show a better side. Not so much in terms of play, because I think the team played some very good football the other day, but more in terms of finding clearer chances to score, which is what the Spanish team needs right now. That first win that gives you the calm to face the last match."
What needs to change against Saudi Arabia to make things go well?
"Well, we need to find the goal. In football, a lot of times you do everything you need to score, but it's just not your day, and it doesn't go in. I think that was the case the other day, especially in the first half. In the second half, it's true that we lacked clearer chances.
"In the first half, we did have chances to score, but we couldn't find the net, and that made us rush things and play a bit more on the back foot than we would have liked. Basically, if we're just a bit more clinical in front of goal, I think that would be enough."
Luis de la Fuente has highlighted two different areas of the team on two occasions. The national coach says Spain has the four best goalkeepers in the world (Unai Simon, David Raya and Joan Garcia, plus Alex Remiro, who wasn't called up) and the best midfielders in the world: Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Pedri, Gavi, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino. Do you agree?
"We have one of the best squads, no doubt about it. And in terms of the areas that stand out, I agree with Luis. That number of goalkeepers at such a high level and that number of midfielders at that level, I don't think any other national team has that or can match us there.
"Within that analysis, you have to win matches by defending and by attacking. So the defensive and attacking lines are also very important. But it's true that I think we have an incredibly creative midfield, with players who have a lot of experience at top international clubs, with world-class players.
"And let's hope that creative line helps us generate a lot of chances, because at the end of the day, in a World Cup you have to be sharp in every area. You might say: 'It's true we have great goalkeepers, but in the end you have to be sharp, because you have to defend, you have to score goals, you'll come up against tight matches like the other day, and maybe some more open games.'
"In other words, you'll face all kinds of situations, and the team has to respond to all the expectations and all the challenges that different teams will throw at us.
"So, I think Luis's analysis is spot on, because I think it's also very obvious. The quality and quantity of players we have is something any other national team would love to have. And let's see if in these next matches, the team is a bit sharper, especially in attack. Because it's true that the other day, defensively, Cape Verde didn't really test us. But in attack, we do need to be able to show the version we've shown in other matches, with a lot of fluidity and quality when creating chances."
'A good World Cup is at least reaching the quarter-finals'
Spain have done quite well at the Euros (champions in 2024, semi-finalists against Italy in 2021, and champions in 2012 and 2008). However, at the World Cup, since the win in South Africa 2010, results haven't followed. What would be a good World Cup for Spain? How far can the team go?
"It's hard to know how far and until when, among other things, because it depends a lot on which teams you face along the way. In another interview, I was asked: 'Well, what do you expect from Spain?' I always expect the best, and I'm sure it's going to be a good World Cup. What is a good World Cup? Well, I don't know, maybe at least reaching the quarter-finals. From there, anything beyond that is already a good World Cup.
"What happens? As you said, we've been the kings of Europe. Almost everyone is watching us out of the corner of their eye, because I think we're one of the favourites. So maybe, for some people, that analysis falls a bit short. But again, it will depend a lot on the teams you face along the way.
"I think this team is ready for the very top. If we can reach the quarter-finals, I think that would be a good result. At least so we don't feel disappointed or let down. It's true that in European competitions, the national team is one of the best, but it's also true that we're still missing a bit of that experience, of having players with several World Cups under their belt, which in the end, whether you like it or not, is also important."
'I love the squad Portugal have brought'
Speaking of possible matchups, there's a risk that Spain and Argentina could meet in the round of 16 if one of them doesn't finish top of their group, though both should top their groups. But in a hypothetical round of 16, Portugal or Colombia could appear too. Overall, which teams do you respect or fear most at this World Cup?
"As we saw the other day and as we've seen in some results, many teams can get into trouble if they have an off day. Among the favourites, everyone is looking at the current champions, Argentina. Brazil have started the tournament well. Spain is still, I think, one of the favourites. Portugal, I love the squad they've brought, it's a team with a quantity and quality I've never seen before in the Portuguese national team, it's incredible.
"Then you have to consider Germany, England, too, plus some team that always pops up and causes trouble. In that scenario, I'm probably forgetting someone, but everyone is keeping an eye on those kinds of teams. Especially those that have started the tournament well and will get through the first round fairly easily.
"Let's hope we're one of those teams, too. And then, as I said, if you can't finish top of your group, you have to pay close attention to who you get next. And who you get next is usually one of those teams we've mentioned, many of them favourites. And that's where, as I said, it will depend a lot on how far we can go, depending on which teams we have to face.
"In the end, it's true that if you want to be champion, which is what all the strong teams at this World Cup are aiming for, you have to face everyone, and you have to take on the strongest if you really want to reach the final. But it's always good at the start to come up against teams that are competing with you on equal terms or even from a position of superiority. Imagine having to face Argentina or Portugal. That's already a clash of titans, and anything can happen."
