The coach of the Spanish national team, Luis de la Fuente, made a sincere and critical assessment after the 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic in the third round of the Nations League. Although the success confirmed the world champions at the top of the group with a full asset of points, the coach did not spare his remarks about the drop in tempo in the second half.
De la Fuente was adamant that the substitutions after the break did not contribute to maintaining the rhythm:
„The score is exactly like that. The first half was very strong. In the second half, however, the substitutions did not help and we were unable to maintain the same pace of play. The demands of this busy calendar are enormous and we lost our precision. We are not satisfied, as there were moments when we suffered seriously, and this is not typical for us.“
The specialist emphasized the serious physical strain that the players face, defining the balance between pursuing victories and protecting their health as extremely difficult. According to him, fatigue will be felt even more strongly by Tuesday, but this is a factor that applies to all teams.
In addition, he expressed his complete admiration for the phenomenal performances of the young star Lamine Yamal:
“His growth is a daily reality. When he scored, I held my head in admiration, not surprise. If he were the only Spanish footballer nominated, I would categorically state that he is the best in the world.“
Luis de la Fuente also commented on the shocking 0:7 defeat of his next opponent Croatia, defining it as an abnormal and extremely strange result. According to him, such a blow to the reputation will motivate the Croats even more for the upcoming clash.
The coach also revealed details of his tactical requirements, expressing satisfaction with the strong start of the match. As for Rodri, de la Fuente explained that his main function is to guarantee balance, but when he plays with complete confidence, he is given the freedom to get involved dangerously in the opponent's penalty area.