Luis de la Fuente said “favourites are for the bookmakers” as the Spanish manager attempted to play down growing expectations of his side before the European Championship final.
Spain have been the standout team of Euro 2024 so far, beating Croatia, Italy, Germany and France in dazzling style on the road to their match-up against England in Berlin. But the head coach was at pains to point out that the final will be one between “equals” and warned that their winning streak could break “at any time”.
“We are serene, we have never lost perspective,” De la Fuente said. “We know this analysis from outside [of Spain being favourites to win] but we think our own way, we know there is no favourite. The game will be very equal, the same as in previous matches. Favourites, we leave that to the bookmakers.
“If we don’t play above the level we’ve shown, if we are not completely focused, we won’t be able to win. These types of games come down to the smallest details and the team that makes fewer mistakes will take the game. If we don’t do all that, we won’t win. But I know my team have all that. With maximum respect for our rival, we are very focused on trying to win.”
On the subject of their winning run, with Spain victorious in all six of their matches to day, De la Fuente said: “It’s like talking about a goalscoring streak from a striker, it can break any time. What we know is that England have fantastic footballing potential. Their best play could appear at any time. It could appear tomorrow and might show a superior version of themselves. But even if you are much worse than your opponent you can still win because anything can happen. It’s about not making mistakes, creating chances and capitalising on them.”
De La Fuente has surprised many in Spain with how successful his team have been on the field, after a decade coaching Spain’s teams at under-19 and under-21 level. While he would not indulge in predictions about the future success of his youthful side, he said he believed strongly in the talent coming through even they do not raise the trophy in Berlin on Sunday night.
“There is no future here, the future is right now, and I am really proud of the journey the team has been through to get here,” he said. “The levels of performance, the excitement, the workrate, the sacrifice, the talent, nobody gave this team anything, they have earned it for themselves. We have the right to be really proud of what we done, it is a big present and huge future no doubt, and to see the whole country so excited no matter what happens next is wonderful.”
