MADRID – New Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has defended his appointment after criticism that he lacks top-level experience.
The 61-year-old, appointed until after Euro 2024, has coached Spain’s youth teams since 2013, most recently the Under-23 side.
He replaces Luis Enrique after the former Barcelona coach was sacked following Spain’s shock World Cup last-16 defeat by Morocco.
“I was a professional player for 15 years,” de la Fuente told a press conference on Monday.
“I won titles, I was an international (at youth level) apart from with the national team.
“I have (coached) 16 players who were in the Spain squad at the World Cup. If there is anyone in Spain who knows the present and the future of Spanish football, it’s me.”
He was a left-back for Athletic Bilbao in the 1980s and 90s, winning two La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey with the Basque team.
He also played for Sevilla and Alaves before starting his coaching career, with one of the highlights being a silver with the Under-23 side at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when they lost to Brazil in extra time in the final.
Asked if he would recall Sergio Ramos, de la Fuente left the door open for the veteran Paris Saint-Germain defender to earn a recall. Ramos, 36, is Spain’s most capped player with 180 caps between 2005 and 2021.
De la Fuente also admitted he took the job instantly after being offered the role and said he would stay faithful to Spain’s classic style of play, while being open to other ideas.
Spain dominated possession at the World Cup, attempting over 1,000 passes against Morocco, but forged only one shot on target over 120 minutes and were eliminated on penalties.
“There is one thing that is not negotiable, one idea and one model,” he added.
“It adapts to any system, it’s not incompatible. I will try to incorporate nuances to improve.
“We will try to grow and keep improving, interpreting the changes in the game.”
Former Deportivo La Coruna winger Albert Luque was also confirmed as the new sporting director of the national team, replacing Jose Francisco Molina, who will depart in January.
Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales said he, Luque and Molina agreed that a new project must begin, which was why they fired Luis Enrique after the World Cup exit.
AFP
