De la Fuente: Yamal suffers from the anxiety of genius, and England's seven goals do not reflect Croatia
The La Roja coach speaks at length about the young Barcelona star
Luis de la Fuente has hailed Lamine Yamal's relentless drive to shine ahead of Spain's trip to Croatia on Tuesday evening in the fourth round of the UEFA Nations League. The Barcelona winger has made the La Roja boss a firm admirer.
Previewing the clash in his press conference, De la Fuente said: "Yamal has the anxiety of genius, the anxiety of exceptional talent. And the anxiety here is not in a negative sense, as he is always hungry for the best because he wants to be the best."
As reported by Mundo Deportivo, the coach added: "We have a team with exceptional passion because none of its players ever tire of competing."
Lamine scored the first goal in all three of Spain's matches during the international break.
De la Fuente stopped short of confirming a starting spot, but pointed to the teenager's form and his status as the squad's most involved player across the window.
"All the players want to play, then we assess how suitable that is," he explained. "Lamine is at the peak of his level and he is a natural competitor. We have always been keen to pick the best possible line-up for every match, and that is what we have done throughout this tournament."
Dani Olmo also drew praise, with the fixture carrying extra weight given his history in Croatia.
Olmo started against England and the Czech Republic but sat out the first meeting with Croatia. On him, the Spanish coach said: "He fully understands the importance of this match. We will assess the most suitable time for Dani to play in the match, but he is very excited and is very popular in Croatia."
The La Roja boss then talked up Croatia's quality and brushed aside their 7-0 thrashing by England.
"For me, they are a great team," De la Fuente commented. "They have been one of the most important national teams in recent years. What happened in the last match was a one-off incident. We will find a passionate and emotional atmosphere, and that is what we like. It will be a great match. I love to feel the enthusiasm of the fans, whether they are supporting us or against us."
Spain top the group on nine points after three straight wins. Croatia sit third with three.
