Fernando Hierro has revealed how he kept Spain calm in order to crack a stubborn Iran side and clinch victory in their World Cup group stage game.
Diego Costa broke the deadlock in the second half after the favourites were frustrated for long spells.
But Hierro, who stepped in for Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the tournament after his dismissal, claims his talk was simple and based on their psychological approach.
"We were happier after the game against Portugal than today. That’s just a feeling you know. OF course we want to be better," Hierro said. "We are demanding with ourselves.
"I told the players to be calm. They needed to be calm. We were doing things well and during the half time we face a difficult situation.
"At half time we work on a psychological level. We talked about believing in ourselves. They keep believing and that was a positive thing."
Spain face Morocco in the final group game, knowing a point will be enough for them to qualify for the last 16 of the tournament in Russia.