Euro 2016: Scandal-hit Spain rally around David de Gea, start title defence against Czech Republic

Paris: Two-time defending champions Spain kick-off their Euro 2016 campaign against the Czech Republic on Monday, bidding for a third straight European crown. But they will be battling a sex scandal cloud, with accusations against Spain’s Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea having thrown their preparations into turmoil as they prepare to face the Czechs in Toulouse in Group D. Vicente del Bosque’s Spain are chasing a treble of European championship titles when they start their campaign against the backdrop of their off-field woes. De Gea is vying with 167-cap veteran and captain Iker Casillas, a hero of Spain’s three consecutive major championship triumphs between 2008 and 2012, for a starting place. The 25-year-old has strongly denied allegations that he organised a party at which two women were forced to have sex with two footballers. The storm has taken the focus of Spain’s arrival in France away from football. [caption id=“attachment_2831344” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  (left to right) Spain’s goalkeepers Sergio Rico, David de Gea and Iker Casillas in training. AP[/caption] Team members are saying they are backing de Gea. Real Madrid defender Ramos said that de Gea has “all our support” as he waits to see if he will get a place in the Spanish team. “Certainly, it wasn’t very pleasant news to recieve about one of your teammates,” Ramos said in Toulouse on Sunday when asked about the atmosphere in the Spain camp. “He (de Gea) has already said all he wanted to say about it, and although we have nothing to add, he has all our support.” There is also a question mark over who Vicente del Bosque picks. If del Bosque chooses Casillas, it could be considered punishment for de Gea. Picking de Gea could be a strong signal that Spain are fully behind the 25-year-old old goalkeeper. Ramos, fresh from helping Real Madrid to the Champions League title, said that Spain are now impervious to talk of the affair. “There’s a great atmosphere in the squad and we tend to give support to a player if he needs it.” But he admitted Spain are taking nothing for granted. After the Czechs on Monday, Spain face Turkey and finally their biggest group rivals, Croatia, who beat Turkey 1-0 on Sunday. “For a long time, we had a fantastic run of success and because of that people got used to us winning,” he said. “But in football, you can’t always win. We’ll give our very best, but our heads will be kept high no matter what the result.” Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta, meanwhile, said a third consecutive crown “would be unbelievable”. Though the new look Spain have yet to make an international impact, Iniesta said the team are aiming to make amends for their World Cup failure. “The new players are all quality players,” said Iniesta. “We suffered the disappointment of Brazil, so we’re very motivated this time around. We’re the defending champions, and although every situation is different, we have plenty of confidence in this squad.” Meanwhile, Czech coach Pavel Vrba and captain Tomas Rosicky lavished plenty of praise on their opponents. “I love their technique and how they move. It’s great, it’s genius,” said Vrba. “I think the whole world should learn from them in that respect. We respect Spain…they’re the favourites and it will be a tough and important test for us. But the football they play is not a novelty to us. It’s very similar to Bayern, Real Madrid and Barcelona and that’s how they’re going to play against us. They control the ball well, they have good technique and all the players can attack. But I think there’s a few things we can surprise them with.” Rosicky, who played only 19 minutes for Arsenal last season due to injury, said he is fit and ready for his country on what will be his fourth participation at the European Championship. Although he says playing against Spain prompts a “red alert”, the 35-year-old attacking midfielder hopes to make life difficult for the defending champions. “Obviously these type of guys are a pleasure to watch, (David) Silva, Cesc (Fabregas), (Andres) Iniesta, when they have the ball it’s a red alert every time,” said Rosicky. After a deep intake of breath, he added, “It will be tough tomorrow but we will give everything to stop them and to make it difficult for them. We didn’t come here to make it easy. We want to achieve our own success. We’ll all be fighting for that.”