"Spain has a responsibility to fulfill as the European champions and it is necessary to meet those expectations," he told AS.

"A competition like this is always a trap. If you win it, it won't be given much importance but if you fail, then it will be highlighted to you."

The European champions have already started their preparations for the Confederations Cup, and will face Azerbaijan on Tuesday in a warm-up game.

Del Bosque's main concern for the time being is to fill the void left by the unavailability of influential duo Marcos Senna and Andres Iniesta.

Both players failed to make the 23-squad for the gigantic competition through injury.

"We are now working to amend the losses caused by the injury to Senna and Iniesta," the veteran coach stated.

"But injuries are part of the game. Their absences will be noticeable, but we have alternatives and we are ready to overcome the problem.

"It is necessary to let all the lads recover after the club competitions and also make them realise that we are about to play in a FIFA tournament that will be watched by millions around the world."

Nothing to Lose

Although Spain lie in Group A alongside lowly teams and are widely considered to be favorites to qualify, Del Bosque believes the underdogs are capable of springing surprises.

"New Zealand, Iraq and South Africa have nothing to lose against the champions of Europe," he explained.

"These three games worry me the most because if we relax and we stumble, things could get complicated. We already know what comes later on: Italy or Brazil in the semi-finals and final.

"It is necessary to get straight into it from the first game and then we can wait with excitement for the world champions."

The Confederations Cup gets underway on June 14th, and Spain will play their first game on the same day against New Zealand.