De la Fuente shocks Morocco: his advice to the Barcelona star after his exclusion
The World Cup final must be held in Spain
Luis de la Fuente has no intention of poring over his players' minutes ahead of Spain's UEFA Nations League meetings with the Czech Republic and England.
Last time around, the Spain boss was determined to keep every player under 270 minutes across four matches. This time, the picture looks rather different.
Mundo Deportivo carried his comments, delivered with a sarcastic edge: "No player will feature for more than 180 minutes this time. Well, perhaps the duration will increase a little, because matches now tend to run longer."
His priority is simple. "They are two decisive matches, and we have a lot to play for. Our idea is to field the best players in both matches," he explained.
De la Fuente opened his press conference with a moving message of condolence on the death of Jesús de Miguel. He then explained that he always tries to manage his internationals' physical loads without losing sight of what is at stake.
"We always try to distribute the playing minutes among the players as much as possible, but we are aware that we are competing for top spot in the group, in order to reach the quarter-final in the best possible shape," he said.
At the Metropolitano, the coach named a squad with some fresh faces. The headline is a first call-up for Jacobo Ramón, while Ander Barrenetxea has forced his way back into the plans.
On the centre-back, De la Fuente lavished praise. "He is having a wonderful season, and we believe the time is right to give him the chance and watch him," he said.
Marc Roca also joins up for the first time. "He has already won the European Under-21 Championship, and he deserved this chance thanks to his ability and the level he provides," the coach said of him.
The Real Sociedad winger takes the place of Víctor Muñoz, and De la Fuente justified the switch. "He is a player with a big future, and he fits the requirements we impose on our wide players. For now, it is Ander's turn."
Four goalkeepers made the cut too. "David Raya has some personal matters in England, and we do not know whether he will be able to attend on Tuesday or Wednesday, but we also believe the time is right to see Álvaro Vallés, whom we have been following for some time," the coach explained.
Rodri's injury hands Martín Zubimendi a bigger role. He is not getting the minutes he would like at Arsenal, yet he still enjoys the full trust of the national team boss.
Pressed on the comments of politician Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who argued that Spain should give up hosting the 2030 World Cup if it does not stage the final, De la Fuente stood his ground. "What I see is that the World Cup final must be held in Spain. As for my task now, it is to prepare the best possible team, and the officials concerned can handle the rest."
The coach also reflected on the world's best coach award, which he collected at the recent Ballon d'Or ceremony. "The Ballon d'Or award was a source of exceptional happiness for me. I already felt fortunate just to be among the nominees," he said.
Finally, he addressed the absence of Gavi, left out for the second time running since the World Cup.
De la Fuente still trusts the Barcelona midfielder. He wants him to keep working to win his place back.
"Gavi always deserves an exception. It is extremely difficult to join this group. Gavi must continue being himself. He has to keep developing, just as everyone has to do," he concluded.
