After a hectic final week of preparations that has raised concerns about the team’s readiness, Spain will start defending its European Championship title on Monday.
The two-time defending champions take on the Czech Republic in Group D looking to rebound from an embarrassing loss to 137th-ranked Georgia in their final warm-up game, and from an off-the-field controversy involving goalkeeper David de Gea.
De Gea’s name appeared in court papers as part of a police investigation into a prostitution ring allegedly involving a Spanish pornographic filmmaker. The goalkeeper was accused by a protected witness of promoting an encounter between her and two other soccer players.
Spain had arrived in France filled with doubts after the disappointing 1-0 loss to Georgia at home on Tuesday, a game that Del Bosque said was supposed to boost the team’s confidence going into tournament but instead raised some doubts.
The Czech Republic also lost its final warm-up match, falling 2-1 to South Korea in Prague. Just a few days earlier, Spain had routed South Korea 6-1 in Austria.