De la Fuente embarrasses Tuchel with a strongly worded message: and settles Yamal's fate
Luis de la Fuente, the head coach of the Spanish national team, spoke about the clash with England tomorrow, Sunday, which will determine the identity of the group leaders, who will play the return leg on home soil when the quarter-final matches of the UEFA Nations League are held next March.
The newspaper Marca published the Matadors coach's remarks from the press conference, where he said: "We will not go into the match looking for a draw. We have achieved 12 consecutive wins, and we want the next one to be number 13. We think of nothing but victory, and you know very well how much I love the number 13."
He continued: "The Spanish national team has created a truly special era. To this day, we are the team with the most matches played without defeat in world football. But we are not content with what we have achieved. We have a constant obsession, which is to treat our next match as if it were the last. We still have an enormous margin for improvement."
On the fitness front, he pointed out: "All the players are in perfect condition to take part today and train tomorrow. The only player who will not be present today is Alejandro Grimaldo, due to a viral illness, and he will not go out to training."
Five players missed the cut for tomorrow's squad, and he explained: "It is a matter of sporting calculations. We have 28 players in the squad, while only 23 players are allowed to be called up. Everyone understands this in advance. We deal with it as something completely normal. The most unpleasant part is informing them of it tonight. But they handle the matter normally and understand it with full respect."
Quizzed on Lamine Yamal's readiness, he explained: "I did not feel angry. I said that what bothers me is not telling the truth. I do not like lying or the absence of credibility and truth."
He stressed: "Yamal is in excellent condition. It is a process we would repeat again if the situation required it. He has recovered perfectly. Yesterday, he and Mikel Oyarzabal received a wonderful welcome. What can I say? I am extremely happy that things went this way, but there is nothing else."
There was a lighter note, too. He added: "We will see whether Yamal will start the match (laughs), but if he starts, it means he is ready to play. He is in completely perfect condition."
According to the coach: "Yamal benefited greatly from not undertaking two journeys, and from staying away from the cold weather. He is ready to play without any problem at all."
The Matadors coach affirmed: "We cannot play the way England plays, and England cannot play the way we play in Spain. It is one of the best matches that can be watched in the world."
Opponents raise their game against Spain, and he commented: "Beating the world champions is the best way to cement the idea that you are capable of becoming a great team. All opponents now play their matches against us with greater motivation, and with more enthusiasm, drive and aggression."
He continued: "Is England the toughest opponent? The differences are extremely small between France, England and Portugal. Any of these teams is capable of beating you. There are no differences between the teams at the top of the FIFA ranking."
Asked about Thomas Tuchel and the warning over the anti-racism protocol, he explained: "You can tell Tuchel that there is no racism in Spain. We are not racists, just as is the case in England."
He noted: "England has not won any international title in 60 years? We must not confuse value with price. Spanish players are extremely cheap. They are the best players in the world, and yet you pay for them half of what you pay to sign another player in England. Each party acts according to its own world and its own market, and everyone is free to do what they want. When you have great players and do not win titles, you start to doubt whether you are on the right path."
Fermín López came up next. He added: "Is Fermín López still unable to score with Spain? I hope he succeeds in doing so, but there are other players who have not scored either. He is an exceptional player. He gives you many solutions in the game, the ability to reach the penalty area, and attacking depth."
