De la Fuente says his reaction to Lamine’s goal was one of “admiration”

After Lamine’s goal, De la Fuente put his hands on his head out of “admiration”, not surprise. “His growth is a daily reality,” he said, adding that if Lamine were the only Spanish player nominated, he would consider him the best in the world.

Luis de la Fuente spoke at a press conference in the Real Oviedo press room after the match against the Czech Republic. The Spain coach acknowledged that his team had lost sharpness and failed to maintain its play after the break. “The first half was very good. In the second, the changes don’t help and we didn’t maintain continuity in our play,” he said, pointing to the considerable demands of the schedule. He also admitted that his side had endured difficult spells it was not used to experiencing.

In his view, managing rotations creates a dilemma between results and players’ health. “Matches have to be won, but health is the most important thing,” he stressed, while hoping there would be no more injuries. He expects some players to feel the fatigue more by Tuesday, as will their opponents.

Asked about Croatia’s 0-7, he called the score unusual and said it could spur the Croatian players to be more motivated. He also explained that the team is instructed to start matches strongly and impose its game from the outset. On the balance of play, he described a role that provides security while allowing greater freedom and presence in the penalty area when confidence is high.