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De la Fuente hits back at Tuchel
The atmosphere surrounding the Nations League encounter between Spain and England has grown increasingly tense following comments from Tuchel regarding anti-racist protocols. When asked about the England manager's recent mentions of the subject, De la Fuente was uncompromising in his stance. "There is no racism in Spain. It's that simple. Exactly the same as in England. Tell that to Tuchel: there is no racism in Spain," the 65-year-old stated during his pre-match press conference.
Beyond the off-field discourse, De la Fuente emphasised the psychological unity that has propelled his squad to the summit of international football. "We have a sense of family that unites us. This is the strength of this group that goes beyond the professional," De la Fuente explained. He further noted that when any individual faces a difficult period, the collective character of the group ensures they are supported, creating a resilient environment that has proven difficult for any opponent to break down over the last year.
Chasing a thirteenth consecutive win
Spain enters the contest at Metropolitano in a historic run of form, having avoided defeat in 43 matches. This incredible streak has cemented their place in the record books, but the manager insists that his players are far from satisfied. "We’ve already made history. In the future, we’ll see if anyone surpasses these records. But to this day, we’re the national team with the most unbeaten matches in history. But we’re not stopping here: we want to keep breaking records and achieving other milestones. This team has a lot of ambition, and we have one obsession: the match ahead is the last match. That’s what makes us so ambitious. There’s a lot of room for improvement, and we want to do things better," he declared.
De la Fuente dismissed any suggestion that the players might lose focus now that they have secured their standing. He confirmed his intention to extend their winning streak, stating, "I guarantee you no. No. We want to win tomorrow. We've already won twelve games in a row and we want the thirteenth. We're not settling. The result will be what it is, but tomorrow our only goal is to win."
Lamine Yamal fitness and media pressure
Getty ImagesOne of the primary talking points leading into the game has been the fitness and mental state of teenage sensation Yamal. De la Fuente used the press conference to clarify the winger's status, expressing frustration with rumors suggesting the player was not fully fit. "I’m not angry, really. If I were to get angry about this… I simply said that it bothers me when the truth isn’t told. Surely, everyone here feels that way. We don’t like it when people lie. That’s all. Having said that, Lamine is fantastic. We would do the whole process again. He’s made a perfect recovery, and the welcome he and Mikel received was spectacular. Two more members of our family together, and we’re happy that they’re doing so well," the coach remarked.
Clash of the world's best models
The tactical battle between the two sides is expected to be a showcase of modern football's most successful ideologies. While acknowledging the quality within the England setup, De la Fuente was quick to champion the Spanish approach as the superior system for his personnel. "We face two of the powers of world football. It is one of the best games that can be seen," he said, before adding, "Between the football models, I'll take ours, because our footballers are adapted to it."
He expanded on this by saying, "We are two of the teams with the greatest potential in the world. I prefer the Spanish model. I think it's a very recognizable model, very much identified with our players. I prefer this one. The English model has evolved a lot and I also think it's very good. But we couldn't play like England, nor could England play like Spain."
