5 things you didn't know about Luis de la Fuente
5 things you didn't know about Luis de la Fuente
Luis de la Fuente begins his new journey as Spain’s team manager by facing Norway and Scotland in the space of 4 days, with the objective of qualifying for Euro 2024.
There’s been a lot of talk on what to expect from him and how he’ll be able to handle the pressure, taking into account Luis Enrique’s departure left many unhappy fans who will surely take any chance they get to criticise the new coach.
But before judging him for what he does or doesn’t achieve, let’s get to know him a bit better by looking into his past with these 5 curiosities you probably weren’t aware of.
1. Luis de la Fuente already coached the Spanish national team once. It happened in 2021 against Lithuania. Luis Enrique and the players weren’t allowed to play because of the security protocols activated when Sergio Busquets tested positive for COVID-19. The solution the Spanish FA came up with was for de la Fuente and his squad of under-21 to play, representing the senior team. They won 4-0 and all the players involved, as well as de la Fuente, got their first cap with Spain.
2. Luis de la Fuente won 2 league titles as a footballer. It happened while playing for Athletic Club where he was a left-back, winning two consecutive Spanish leagues in 1983 and 1984. He also conquered a Copa del Rey and a Supercopa de España during those successful years. He took part in over 250 football games in Spain’s first division, between Athletic and Sevilla.
3. Luis de la Fuente helped Sergio Ramos grow as a player while he was in charge of Sevilla’s under-19 team in the early 2000’s. At the time Ramos was playing for the club’s under-16 squad but de la Fuente was impressed by his abilities and decided to give him a shot with the bigger boys. It worked out so well that just a few years later he’d go on to make his debut with Sevilla’s first team in 2004… and the rest is history. Despite their past, de la Fuente did not hesitate to let Ramos know his future with the Spanish national team was practically over, leading to his retirement.
4. He has a stadium named after him in his hometown Haro, located in La Rioja. Luis de la Fuente started his career as a player in the town’s local club and due to his success they decided to change the name from ‘Estadio Municipal de Deportes El Mazo’ to ‘Estadio Municipal de Deportes Luis de la Fuente’ with a seating capacity of around 4,000 people.
5. Johan Cruyff is the best player in the history of football according to Luis de la Fuente, when asked in an interview for ‘El Español’. Cruyff is definitely up there with the best, yet he’s probably not the first pick for most. De la Fuente has a very particular view on football, like when he selected Julian Álvarez, Jude Bellingham and Luka Modrić (in that order) as his favourites to win ‘The Best’, ahead of players like Leo Messi or Karim Benzema. Similarly, he also admitted Dani Ceballos is the best player he’s ever coached.