"The numbers are impressive": De la Fuente reveals the secret of a Spain side that does not fall

It was no ordinary night for Spain.

Luis de la Fuente was a satisfied man after Spain's 3-1 win over the Czech Republic. The head coach praised an impressive first-half showing from his side, even if their level dipped after the break, and stressed how vital it is to keep winning despite the absences and the wholesale changes to his line-up.

De la Fuente said after the match: "This highlights what we talk about time and again, which is the level of football of all the teams we face. If they have their best day, any opponent can hurt you. All the teams have quality."

His side lost some of their fluency in the second half, something the coach put down in part to the changes he made, which disrupted the rhythm of the game.

He said: "In the second half we lacked fluency. The changes broke the match, and we lacked that brilliance we showed during the first half. The team became a little unbalanced in this respect."

The dip in performance did nothing to dampen his mood, though. "We are very happy. Another win, and the numbers are impressive," he said, pointing to Spain's ongoing unbeaten run.

Keeping the team competitive through such sweeping changes clearly pleased him, with key men like Grimaldo, Ferran Torres, Nico Williams and Fabián Ruiz all missing.

He explained: "I wanted to highlight that. The team never stops growing, and it provides players for the future. We ended up with only one player who featured in the World Cup final, and this is a team that still inspires a lot of ambition."

Widening the pool and handing chances to new faces remains central to his thinking. "We will continue to bet on this idea and this model," he said, while wishing the absentees a swift recovery and adding: "We need everyone to be in excellent shape."

There was a human side to the night, too. The fixture reunited De la Fuente with Santi Denia and Pablo Amo, both former members of his coaching staff. "We have wonderful memories together. They are two excellent professionals," he said.

He also had warm words for the Czech side, praising their development, their pressing and their quality. Despite the defeat, he backed Denia's project to have a bright future.