‘Schoolteacher’ De la Fuente must help Spanish soccer get back on its feet

• Luuk Blijboom

  editor of NOS Sports

Less controversy, more success. The mission with which the Spanish Football Federation put Luis de la Fuente at the helm of the national team on Dec. 8, 2022, left nothing to be desired in terms of clarity.

After six months, it turns out La Roja for the inexperienced captain, however, a galleon that, despite a hefty change of course, is still difficult to steer.

De la Fuente, upon his appointment as seleccionador nacional absoluto certainty through the 2024 European Championships. But confidence in the Spanish selector came on foot at home and soon left on horseback.

The relatively unknown De la Fuente (61) began his Proyecto, a multi-year plan to future-proof the Spanish team and bring it back a prize after a decade of drought, was extremely forthcoming.

De la Fuente chose a remarkable course. He thanked star striker Sergio Ramos, after 180 international matches, against his wishes for services rendered. To the surprise of many, Espanyol striker Joselu Mato, 32 years and 363 days old, made his first appearance in La Roja.

On March 25 this year, the first pool match for Euro 2024 was won 2-0 over Norway. Goal scorer: Joselu, who found the net as many times in two minutes.

Three days. It didn’t take longer before De la Fuente’s head was still headed for the chopping block. Spain had not lost to Scotland since 1984. In the second qualifying game in Group A, however, they went down 2-0 without a chance at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

De la Fuente had changed his team in no fewer than eight places compared to the first game in the second qualifying match for next year’s European Championship in Germany. Only goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and midfielders Rodri and Mikel Merino could count on credit.

De la Fuente’s hand proved an unfortunate one on Scottish soil. Modified Spain failed to make a fist and went down hopelessly. Reason enough for the Spanish newspapers to immediately sharpen their knives.

‘With De la Fuente, Spain has only just hit the road and flies right out of the second corner it encounters ‘, judged the Spanish daily newspaper La Vanguardia. The renowned sports newspaper Marca was more firm: ‘This defeat is not an unfortunate coincidence. The solution to this problem is remote’.

His modest curriculum vitae is to blame for the fact that José Luis de la Fuente Castillo, as his full name is, cannot count on superlative credit in his own country.

After the World Cup in Qatar, he succeeded Luis Enrique. The latter got his congé after the defeat against Morocco. It was the game in which Spain recorded more than 1,000 successful passes, but produced only one shot on goal in 120 minutes and then flew out of the world title tournament after penalty kicks.

De la Fuente’s appointment raised Spanish eyebrows. When he still possessed a bunch of black curls and went through life with one of those typical Southern European brush moustaches, he was an unassuming left-back who wore the colors of Athletic de Bilbao, Sevilla and Alavés.

After his career as a footballer, he became coach of such modest clubs as Club Portugaleta and Aurrerá de Vitoria in 1997, before returning to Athletic de Bilbao and Alavés as a coach.

He only became successful as a coach in the service of the Spanish federation RFEF. He became European champion in 2015 and 2019 with the national under-19 and under-21 teams, respectively. At the postponed 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo, he coached Spain to Olympic silver, after a defeat against Brazil that only came about in extra time.

Asked if, with such a relatively modest background, he was not too light for the position of coach of the national team, De la Fuente, upon his appointment in December 2022, referred delicately to the results he had achieved as a player.

With Athletic Bilbao, he became LaLiga champion in the ’82-’83 and ’83-’84 seasons. In the latter season he also triumphantly held the Spanish Cup, the Copa del Rey, over its head. Because of that double, Athletic also automatically received the Supercopa de España Assigned.

“I was a professional soccer player for 15 years,” he echoed. “I have won awards as both a player and a coach. Moreover, from the 2022 World Cup squad, I have had 16 players under my care in the past.”

Quirkiness can hardly be denied De la Fuente. The bearded practice master is a type of school teacher, a man praised for his didactic and verbal gifts. Someone who will not be lectured to, moreover. Not even by the omnipresent and ever-critical Spanish media.

How much De la Fuente chooses his own route was shown by the lineups he sent into the field against Norway and Scotland. From Real Madrid, only Dani Ceballos was called up. From Barcelona, no player received an invitation.

By comparison, during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, with Joan Capdevila of Villarreal, only one player was part of the eventual world champion who was not under contract to either the Royal or Barça.

De la Fuente knows that a defeat in the Nations League final round, which begins Thursday with a game against Italy, will raise the storm from the Iberian Peninsula. Still, he said he does not fear the European champion.

“I am a positive person,” he said Wednesday in Enschede. “We have it in us to take our first prize in ten years in the Netherlands.”

He just didn’t count himself rich. A soccer coach, De la Fuente also knew, is only as good as his last result. Especially in Spain. In front of the Spanish media, he came up with a remarkable outpouring.

“No one knows what will happen tomorrow. Every game I sit on the bench, I realize it could be my last.”