De la Fuente- Spain's Loss to Gavi's Injury is the Darkest Time of My Managerial Career

After extending his contract with the Spanish Football Federation until 2032, Spain's national team manager Luis de la Fuente gave an interview to Juanma Castaño from COPE radio. This is the second part of that interview.

Playing in Spain with two stars is incredibly exciting. Playing in Seville, playing in Oviedo—you're like the Rolling Stones, your tickets sell out instantly. But we've brought the golden era back to the national team...

That's absolutely right. About four years ago, Juanma, do you remember I told you I wanted to bring back the spirit of 2010?

Really?

Yes, yes. I believe we've managed to bring that spirit back. I've spoken with Del Bosque about different situations and issues. I told him, "Del Bosque, I'm experiencing this now." He said to me, "Yes, you'll face more things like this." And that's truly the case. In other words, we're bringing back that spirit, or we've already brought it back. For a few years, that spirit seemed dormant, hidden, lost. But now people are showing it without reservation, enthusiastically demonstrating their love for the Spanish national team and pride in being Spanish.

What was the most difficult moment during these four years?

The most difficult moment was, to be honest...

There must be something—not everything can run smoothly and be honorable. There must be something...

Well, I went through a very valuable learning process.

If you asked me, knowing you, "What do you think is the most difficult time for a coach?" I would say it was when Gavi got injured in Valladolid. I think that was an extremely difficult time for everyone, including you.

If you allow me, there were two major difficulties. One was the second match, our loss in Scotland. And then we had to wait three months before returning to the Nations League. Yes, those three months were very difficult, but I learned a lot from them. One thing was not listening to you all (the media), not paying attention to you, not reading anything you wrote. Doing that made me happier; I stopped caring what others said about me and became completely independent.

We ask our listeners not to do that. Otherwise we'd be out of work. A national team coach should still listen to his plans.

That's absolutely right. For those who have to suffer, it's good if they don't suffer. But I suffered during that time. So when facing adversity, I chose to isolate myself. That was a very important lesson. The other one, as you mentioned, was Gavi's injury—a very difficult time for everyone.

That wasn't fair, because many people blamed you for everything. What I mean is...

Yes, but look, beyond public opinion, this incident caused us real pain. Think about it—like an accident, losing a loved one, how frightening that is. Look at how the players reacted, how they reacted in the locker room at halftime—it was genuinely shocking. In the locker room, the physiotherapists and all the players surrounded Gavi, taking care of him. That was an emotional scene. While it had its tragic side, it also showed something wonderful: this team isn't just a group of players or a national team—it's a "big family" that we built for the European Championship. Now we're very proud of that.

If you follow your contract, you'll lead the team through another European Championship, the World Cup, and another European Championship, starting now...

Yes, yes. That's the situation now.

Do you have more expectations now?

Yes. There's nothing else—we'll see. I'm a very decisive person.

At 71 years old, would you still want to extend your contract?

No. If that time comes, we'll see. The main thing is staying healthy.

No, but you just revealed your true feelings...

No, that's future talk, future talk! Relax, easy does it. What I mean is, I'm not thinking about long contracts—rest assured.

No, but okay...

No, look, for all of this, as I told you before, I'm a practical person focused on the present. Life has taught me to live in the present and make the most of each day. Right now I'm only thinking about England, then I'll think about all the opponents we'll face next, but England is the priority. How can I think about what happens in six years? But honestly, my colleagues today told me about the World Cup being hosted in Spain, and obviously, if you ask me, I'd answer.

Hosting the World Cup with the national team must be incredibly exciting...

Of course, why not? As a national team coach, it would obviously be very special and attractive to lead the national team in the World Cup on home soil. I've already said that—I'm not thinking about it, and I don't want to obsess over it. I'm focusing on what I can control and my immediate objectives.

Even if you don't listen to our plans, the most important thing is that you always treat us with great respect. It's better to be respected than to have people listen to your plans. And you always answer all the questions about the current situation. Please allow me to ask about some things that happened in recent days. One is about Ceuta. You've publicly expressed full support. What do you think about Spain's U20 national team not playing in Ceuta?

There appears to be a security report suggesting matches shouldn't be held in Ceuta. So on one hand they tell us one thing, and on the other something else happens—I don't know. You tell me, when I went there I saw the local people suffering greatly. I have very good friends in Ceuta, I'm in contact with them weekly, and I know they're suffering. So we need to find a solution for their situation, restore normal life there—it's urgent. I can't speak to whether the authorities will accept it, but I understand the difficulties the people of Ceuta face and their living conditions.

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