Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has said "pessimism" about his team's chances at the European Championships is unfounded.
The national team won the European Championship in both 2008 and 2012, but were eliminated from the 2014 World Cup at the group stage.
And the mood about their chances of success in France was not improved as they drew both their friendlies last month, 1-1 in Italy and 0-0 in Romania.
Some pundits have questioned whether Del Bosque has been too loyal to out-of-form players including captain Iker Casillas and Chelsea striker Diego Costa and said leaders such as Xavi Hernandez and David Villa had not been adequately replaced.
But Del Bosque told AS the team had improved since 2014 and called for more patience among supporters and media.
"There is not much reason to be pessimistic," he said. "The origin of all of that is when we lost in Brazil, which was a very big disappointment, and that has led to the current pessimism.
"We have qualified, and the FIFA ranking shows we are among the top teams. We never dropped at any time out of the first five spots. There are signs of a change, we must have some patience and I believe we will arrive at the Euros in good condition."
Del Bosque, 65, is widely expected to retire after the tournament, but said he would wait to discuss his future with Spanish FA president Angel Maria Villar.
"I always appreciate the support of the president," he added. "Our federation always has as a rule to be careful with contracts, but we do not know what will happen from July.
"I have already said what I need to say about this, and it is a small thing for the tournament."