Spain’s coach Luis de la Fuente celebrates a flawless European Championship win, praises his team’s growth, and envisions a bright future after their 2-1 victory over England in Berlin.
Bollywood Fever: Spain played a flawless European Championship, winning all seven games en route to lifting the trophy on Sunday. Coach Luis de la Fuente expressed his pride in the team’s performance and their potential for an even brighter future.
“It’s difficult to improve something like that, but I would like my players to keep growing and improving,” the 63-year-old coach said after leading Spain to their fourth Euros title with a 2-1 victory over England in Berlin. “They are tireless, they will keep improving and trying to win. They all need to feel proud … I hope everyone feels exactly as proud about this generation of players who can make history and have a long future ahead of them.”
Spain’s promising future was highlighted by the young duo responsible for their first goal on Sunday: 17-year-old Lamine Yamal crossed for 22-year-old Nico Williams to fire home. This moment was particularly sweet for De la Fuente, who has been coaching many of his current squad members since he began working with Spain’s youth teams in 2013.
Mocked as “Luis de la Who?” when he was appointed to the senior team 18 months ago, De la Fuente has since established a ferociously attacking approach, moving away from the possession-based “tiki-taka” style that previously brought Spain a World Cup and back-to-back Euros.
“I try to impose of course my own idea, an idea that I knew my players could implement on the pitch,” De la Fuente said. “We tried to be unpredictable … we wanted to control the game with more dynamic situations and quicker transitions, thanks to very fast players. I was sure that my players believed in me because they proved it, not now but all along this journey.”
The coach praised his players for their exemplary performance and values. “They’ve been infallible, we’ve done practically everything right … These footballers are an example for society because of the values that they represent.”
Regarding his future, De la Fuente seemed confident about renewing his contract as coach at the appropriate time. “I’m not worried about that now, today is a day to celebrate and be happy,” he said, reflecting on Spain’s impressive victories over heavyweights Italy, Germany, France, and England en route to their triumph. “They (Spain’s players) won this tournament with extreme security and confidence in a kind of fashion we haven’t seen many times.”
Also Read: Dawn Staley Weighs in on WNBA Rookie of the Year Race Between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese
England Coach Gareth Southgate Reflects on Heartbreaking Euros Final Loss to Spain
Novak Djokovic Falls Short in Wimbledon Final Against Carlos Alcaraz