MADRID, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Spain's 2-1 win over England in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday night in Berlin is a vindication, not just of coach Luis de la Fuente, but also shows the changes that are happening in the nation as a whole.
It's hard to believe that some Spanish commentators were asking for De la Fuente to be sacked just 15 months ago after Spain were outplayed and out-hustled by an aggressive Scottish side.
Some were surprised to be a man with little experience as a club coach given the job of replacing Luis Enrique after the disappointments of the 2022 World Cup, but De la Fuente's long experience working in the Spanish youth system and with their under-21 side meant he would be working with players who had grown as internationals alongside him.
Spain recovered from the defeat in Scotland by winning the UEFA Nations League and De la Fuente was able to negotiate the fallout of the Luis Rubiales affair, after he was pictured applauding the former Spanish Football Federation president, as Rubiales refused to resign after his unsolicited kiss of Jenni Hermoso after the Spanish women's won the World Cup last August.
The coach argued that he had been expecting Rubiales to step down and was overwhelmed by events, and was able to ride out the storm. Spain then scored seven goals in Georgia in their next game, and qualification for the Euros was back on track.
As expected, De la Fuente has shown faith in youth, with Athletic Bilbao's excellent Nico Williams maturing as a player, while the eruption of Barcelona's 17-year-old Lamine Yamal means he was able to play the duo as lethal wingers.
It has escaped nobody's attention that the two players are both the sons of immigrants to Spain, while central defenders Aymeric Laporte and Robin Le Normand both decided to play for Spain after failing to get a call-up for France.
Meanwhile the fact players from Basque sides, Athletic Bilbao (Williams, Unai Simon and Daniel Vivian) and Real Sociedad (Alex Remiro, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Oyarzabal, Le Normand and Mikel Merino) made up a large percentage of the squad, also saw this team get greater support in a region where a large percentage of people want independence from Spain, while Barcelona fans also cheered on Yamal, Ferran Torres, Fermin Lopez and Pedri.
Although there were four Barcelona players in the squad, only Yamal was a regular starter, while Dani Carvajal was the only regular Real Madrid starter and although it's maybe surprising that arguably the two biggest clubs in the world contributed so little to the cause, it shows the democratization of De la Fuente's side.
Just as he is seen as a quiet man, De la Fuente's team has also flown under the radar, although in Rodri and Fabian Ruiz, he had the best midfield pairing in the tournament, with Zubimendi giving fine support. Pedri and then Dani Olmo helped to link midfield and attack, where Alvaro Morata's hard-work and the pace of Williams and Yamal was almost impossible to deal with.
De la Fuente found balance all over the pitch, with Carvajal and Marc Cucurella pushing forward to aid the wingers and the coach's confidence in Cucurella contrasts. On the contrary, England coach Gareth Southgate insisted in playing the experienced but unsuited Kieran Trippier on the left, rather than showing faith in a less experienced left-sided player.
So a man who doesn't raise his voice, has found unity in diversity and built a team based on balance and collective spirit that plays with pace, commitment and above all, joy. ■
