De la Fuente and the tense previous match against Italy: menu of the day, swerve and an uncomfortable situation

Luis de la Fuente is a good guy. And, according to those who have seen him work these years in Las Rozas, “a good coach”. The curriculum (European champion sub'19 and sub'21, Olympic silver) supports that impression. However, his zero experience in the elite, his surprising appointment, his status as a good person and even his age have given him a patina of interim status that, being real, is surely unfair.. No other of those who were candidates to be coach after the departure of Luis Enrique would be being questioned after two games. Louis, yes.

Wednesday May 31. Puskas Arena de Budapest. In an interview prior to the game, the president of the Federation, Luis Rubiales, says that it is false that the Federation doubts the coach. But, 30 seconds later, a question and an answer.

Ask. Whatever happens in the Nations League Final Four, will the coach continue?

Answer. The Nations League is an award in which we are going to play against one of the best teams in the world, Italy. And, depending on what happens, we will face another of the best in the world, the Netherlands or Croatia. They are top 10 teams that can beat you or that you can beat. We are going with all the enthusiasm in the world to see if we are capable, after 11 years, of winning a title. We know it is very complicated and we are going to try.

Some employee of the Federation warned shortly after the detail. Rubiales, after undoubtedly reaffirming his “trust” in De la Fuente, consciously avoided directly answering the question of whether, whatever happens today and on Sunday, the coach will continue. “It would be very strong, but…”, they also concede from within the City of Soccer. Translated: it is unlikely that Rubiales will fire De la Fuente, but two defeats, together with a possible bad image of the team, open up that scenario, something unthinkable, it should be emphasized, if the chosen one after the World Cup had been any other.

BICKERING

“I worry about what I can control. The dimes and diretes do not take away a second. I try to take advantage of the time to get the most out of my players,” he said yesterday at a press conference where he looked better than other days. It started a little timid, but ended up leaving the feeling of having strengthened during these months. Because, actually, the run-run around Luis de la Fuente didn't start a couple of weeks ago. It began after the huge setback that his team suffered in Glasgow, where the coach made a mistake from the line-up (making nine changes compared to the victory against Norway and giving way to many inexperienced players) until the subsequent press conference: “I don't I would move an inch from what we have done.”. If he has regretted anything since he took office, it is that phrase.

Since then, in March, his routines have not changed too much.. He goes to his office in Las Rozas early and spends the day working there. Only stop to eat the menu of the day in the cafeteria of the enclosure. You have recruited one of the people who worked in the communication department to help you in your day-to-day. He continues to wear a jacket or a sweatshirt tied over his shoulders, and although some say that he does it to cover up the main sponsor (which will cease to be on June 30 after announcing that it would not continue to sponsor the Women's League) , there is also some superstition.

The coach, Luis de la Fuente. RFEF

Of course, the swerve that hit the squad list (six of those who started in Glasgow are not even here today), has even surprised people around them. His commitment to the experience of Navas or Jordi Alba makes one thing clear: he is interested in the project, yes, but he knows that if it does not do well in the Netherlands, there may not be another project, so he has used very established names to face these two games.

His close collaborators say that they see him calm. Also the players. «The training sessions are being very good, we have to be united. Bad results are always blamed on the coach's work, but the players have to take a step forward. Luis has the trust of everyone, players, staff, Federation…. And there is no doubt about the work he is doing”, summed up Jordi Alba yesterday, ignoring that the players are usually with the one who directs them at that moment, neither with the previous one nor with the one that comes. Spain is looking, then, at the certain possibility of lifting a title 11 years after the last one, but it is looking, above all, at the possibility of establishing a project that was born unexpectedly and that, beyond the questionable talent it has You need a confidence boost.