Luis de la Fuente welcomes us in a City footballI where we find ourselves upon entering with a giant replica of the balloon with which Spain won the final of the European Cup has England on July 14th at Berlin. Sportingly, everything is fine. Las Rozas. Enthusiasm for the Spanish team has returned. “I haven’t seen that since the world champions”” said some, perplexed by the enthusiasm generated by the close encounter with the brand new champions of the Old Continent.
Happiness has settled in Spain and that’s always good news. And of course, the big culprit is none other than Luis de la Fuente (haro1961). The captain of a ship that sails the waters of triumph. First, the League of Nations. Then the jackpot, the European Cup. 51 days later, he answers OKDIARIO in one of the offices of Ciudad del Fútbol. Happy. Close. As if nothing had changed, even though this normal man has changed absolutely everything for our football.
Question: It’s been 51 days since July 14. How has life changed?
Answer: The truth is yes. In football, one project ends and another begins. Everything happens very quickly. Now, with hindsight, we realise that we have done something very great. We have made history. Of course, now it is time to start another project and we must dedicate more energy to it if possible, because the demand is at its maximum.
Q: You already know how we spend our time in Spain. If we don’t start well now, we’ll have problems.
A: Of course! I have learned a lot during these years in the senior team. That is what enriches any professional career. For me personally, everything we have experienced has been very useful. We now know that only victory is worth it. The important thing is that we are prepared for it. We have a generation of footballers who can make history and we will continue to compete to the maximum. We have a lot of motivation.
Q: In this European Cup there have been many historic moments, but do you remember any from the match?
A: I will stick to the goal Mikel Merinos. We beat history. At another time it would have been the other way around, but we showed a winning mentality. I think it was the most important moment of the tournament.
Q: There are some who have compared what was experienced during the open training sessions with the years during which the world champions trained.
A: It was great. What I liked most was seeing so many young people and 90 percent of them wearing the Spain jersey. I love it and it excites me. I always demand that fans come to national team matches with the national team jersey and not the club jersey. We all have a team and I think it’s fantastic, but we all have to be Spanish and be united, because that’s what unites us.
Q: So now you can say you have achieved it. He has managed to get 48 million players and not selectors, which is what he was looking for from day one.
A: We can still improve. When I said that, I also said that we had to recover the spirit of unity that we saw in 2010. I think that we have now achieved that. The challenge now is to maintain it over time. We must seek a balance that leads us to always feel Spain in the same direction, because it is the representation of the country and we must understand it as a source of pride.
Q: You have to tell me how you experienced the Euro evening.
A: It was a fantastic surprise. When we arrived in Madrid, we already saw the welcome in the streets, where there were thousands of people. And I repeat, very young. I am deeply moved to see them hooked on Spain. Seeing them there gave us pride and a sense of belonging. It was very nice that millions of people felt proud of Spain.
Q: That day we saw a happy and unapologetic Spain. That only bothered UEFA and Gibraltar.
A: We must be understanding in this context of euphoria, happiness, celebration. I don’t think anyone has ever been disrespected. It was about partying with thousands of people who wanted to experience a moment like this. Behaviors should not be taken out of context, but simply be part of a happy moment of celebration and unity.
Q: So we can say that the sanction is exaggerated.
A: I certainly believe that they did not understand or did not want to understand the context in which we were. What we want is to turn the page and focus on what is important. The objective was to win the Euro and see a country on the street. This is what, in my opinion, must be highlighted.
Q: In a country where we see so much political absurdity, should Luis de la Fuente’s Spain be the example to follow?
A: What I believe is that we should look at the models that work. It is as simple as coexistence, respect, camaraderie, solidarity, generosity. I do not think at all that a relationship based on values is expensive. So our formula has its place in any activity of life.
Q: There was also controversy over Carvajal’s greeting to Pedro Sánchez.
A: We were overwhelmed and exhausted. It’s annoying that everything is sharp. I mean, we were there, overwhelmed, exhausted. In this country, unfortunately, sometimes we focus on the least important instead of being positive. The good thing is that the majority is for unity, celebration and pride. There are always people who focus on the negative, but they must live very sadly. What must be emphasized is what this team has represented for millions of Spaniards.
Q: What we didn’t know is that you also sang.
A: (Laughs) What I didn’t know is that the one who sang really badly was Patxi Salinas. It was really nice. First of all, to meet a friend that I love like a brother and then to keep those moments. I’m a big fan of Julio Iglesias and I really like that song. One verse says: “Who pretends to be Spanish wherever he goes.”
Q: On September 1, 2023, you gave one of the most complicated press conferences in memory. What did you learn this year?
A: We are always in a learning process. I say that everything I have experienced has made me a better person and a better coach. I believe that this is the life project of every human being, to try to improve, and I have chosen this path of trying to be a better person every day and a better professional every day, because that is what the rest of my colleagues demand of me and ask of me in order to be at their level. With everything that has happened to me, I remain positive, because everything has taught me.
Q: So, do you regret anything?
A: No no. There are things I would do better or change, but when they are done, if it is wrong, nothing happens and it must be rectified. We apologize and continue walking. There is no other option. Life is like that, trial and error.
Q: As the final approached, a journalist who declared himself an atheist asked you about the status of faith and God before the final. Did faith play an important role in this success?
A: It is a personal feeling, but if you have faith, you must have it with freedom and conviction. In the range of options that are open to all of us, there is also that of being Catholic. In my experience, if someone asked me, I would say that faith is very valid and very precious, because it gives me security, it gives me peace of mind, it gives me confidence in moments when very important decisions have to be made, very quickly and with conviction and security. What I do is encourage people to investigate, to inform themselves.
Q: Let’s go back to the present, which is called Serbia and Switzerland. How are they dealing with it?
A: Excited, responsible, eager to continue growing. Knowing, as we have already said, that the demand is now very great, that the responsibility is greater, but convinced that we are ready to respond to any demand because we are ready, we have a great team, we have an exceptional gift and, as I said, we too, a magnificent future. However, it will not be easy at all. They are tough rivals who want to beat the European champion.
Q: How is Rodrigo doing for the second match against Switzerland?
A: It has improved a lot. It is in the process that had been estimated at this stage of the season. He is with an immense desire. If it were up to him, he would play tomorrow. I think he will be in perfect condition to play the second game. We will evaluate in the days before, because we are not going to take risks. The priority is the health of the footballer.
Q: Do Spanish players lack marketing or charisma?
A: I am surprised by the question of charisma. Charisma annoys me. It seems that to have charisma you have to be rude, disrespectful, a vinegar as they say in some places in Spain. Here it seems that being normal, respectful, polite, being an athlete, as our players are, you cannot live with this status of world leader. They have chosen a path. It shows that these footballers, whether or not they receive individual titles, are the best with charisma, without charisma, with sympathy, without sympathy or with whatever they want.
Q: Should we in Spain campaign for Carvajal for the Ballon d’Or?
A: Yeah! That seems absolutely right to me. If we value his professional career, it is spectacular. He is excellent in every game he plays for his club and with Spain. I don’t know what else Carvajal, who has won more collectively this year, or Rodrigo have to prove.
Q: I ask you this as a former footballer, even though a footballer is eternal. Should I do something with the calendar?
A: It’s as simple as when you sit down to set the schedules, you are showing your disagreement. What is not worth it is to complain in December, January or February and always at times that coincide with the FIFA date, it seems that we are responsible. There are many games, it is true, but we have to complain before setting the dates. We have to find that balance between having good benefits and not harming the health of the footballer.
