Now that the celebrations have died down, Spain's Javier Lozano's chats with FIFA.com about the upcoming European Championship and says it is time for his recently crowned world champions to put their noses to the grindstone once more.

Javier Lozano, it seems, is not someone who lets success go his head. Methodical, serious and reserved, the coach has his feet firmly on the ground despite leading his side to glory at the FIFA Futsal World Championship in Chinese Taipei last December. Just days after returning to Spain, Lozano began preparing the way for his next challenge: the Futsal European Championship to be held in Ostrava, the Czech Republic, between 14 and 20 February.


Señor Lozano, how have you been since your triumph in December?
I've been very calm and relaxed, but not letting myself get carried away. I've had my ups and downs in the past and know how this whole circus works, so in that sense I'm kind of immune to it all. However, I am delighted that the players and the coaching staff have received the recognition they deserve after all their hard work.

You have two major tournaments, the FIFA World Championship and the European Championship, in the space of three months. Is it difficult to prepare your players physically and mentally?  

Yes it is. Mentally, you have to restore a sense of humility and bring the players back to earth. After so much acclaim, and so many photos and parties, it is tough for them to face such harsh realities as the need to train, the need to suffer and the need to be humble and respectful. Physically, we're not at our peak right now. The players prepared meticulously for the World Championship and were in the best possible shape going into the tournament. Now, a couple of months after that kind of conditioning, it's normal for fitness to drop off a bit. You can still do the running, but you lack that spark. It will be hard work getting that back as it's been a couple of very intense months. Having said that, my philosophy has always been that the strength of the group is infinitely greater than that of its individual members. My job is to compensate for any deficiencies there might be with other strengths, and find the right balance.

Which is harder to win, the European Championship or the World?
The World Championship continues to be the benchmark and the one that requires the greatest effort. Nevertheless, the European Championship is shorter, giving you less chance to recover from a bad day and, therefore, more risk of an upset. Also with fewer teams, only the strongest sides make it to the finals. In the World Championship, you have 16 teams of varying standards - some very good, some good, some average and some poor. In the European Championship, by contrast, there will be six very strong sides and two good ones. That means if you slip up, there's no net to catch you.  

What type of expectations do you have for the tournament in the Czech Republic?
I have high expectations. First of all, it's going to be played on wood, which will help reduce injuries and inject some more speed into the games. It will also allow teams to change the rhythm of the game and quickly move from defence to attack, which makes for a great spectacle. I'm confident that it will be a superb competition full of passion, goals and end-to-end action.
 

Do you see any clear favourite?
No, it's a very open tournament. For example, in our group, there are three sides all of whom have aspirations of winning the title: Italy, Portugal and ourselves. Unfortunately only two can go through. In the other group there's Ukraine, twice the European finalists, and Russia, who are extremely fast and tough to play against. Then of course, there are the hosts, the Czech Republic, who have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years. Their fanatical home supporters will boost their confidence and be urging them on to glory. All told, any one of six sides are in with a shout.
 
You have only made one change to the side that competed in Chinese Taipei with Daniel Ibánez, recovered from a knee injury, coming in for Pipe, who has a dislocated shoulder.
The squad hasn't trained together since Taipei, and so it would have been unfair to call up someone I haven't had a chance to see. It would also have been unfair to deny a member of the World Championship-winning side his place in the Czech Republic given the short timeframe between the events. Although the squad has been together for a relatively short time, we've already achieved a great deal.

Does the mantle of world champion mean added pressure for the players?
On the contrary. We'd be under more pressure if we hadn't won it. We're going to thoroughly enjoy the tournament and, of course, try to win it. But there is no desperation.

You have Italy, Hungary and Portugal in your group, all difficult sides. How do you see the group?
It's the group of death. There are three obvious candidates for the title and Hungary, who also have to be respected. They are a side under no pressure whatsoever, who will almost certainly not win the title. However, on their day, they could still beat you. You can never be sure until the final whistle blows in the final game.
 
Will your game against Italy be a repeat of the final in Chinese Taipei? And do you fancy your chances again?
A lot will depend on how the sides are doing as they go into the game, and who is more desperate for the points. There is always an intense rivalry when the two sides meet, and given the recent match in Asia, this one will be more intense than ever. Naturally, we'd love to put one over them again, and naturally they'll be out for revenge. But that's all part and parcel of the game, and so long as it's in the right spirit and within limits, I think it's great.