Spain: Past, present and future, in some order
“Every context is different. Now these are two games to win a title. The changes have not been made on a whim. This is not a qualifying round. They are two games that must be won.”
The question that follows, naturally, is what exactly were Luis de la Fuente’s first two games for? While of course qualifying for major tournaments allows the major nations to experiment a lot more, as Spain approach the Nations League, there isn’t that much room for manoeuvre for their new coach.
After a harrowing defeat in the driving rain to Scotland in March, where Spain’s football was as flat as the Patagonian desert and somehow just as dry, de la Fuente is already under pressure. Not for the scoreline or the result, but for the method.
A code most are still trying to crack. De la Fuente was brought in to be simple, without thrills, playing the right people in the right places, and gladhanding with the right suits. A national team José Luis Mendilibar if you will, although he has never set much stock in fancy evening wear or many of the people wearing them. A respected coach with the youth sides, he would continue the transition that Luis Enrique had set in motion, only without quite so much antagonism.
Yet after six months, de la Fuente has booted Sergio Ramos out of the side - or rather threw away the key to door keeping him out previously - and made 14 changes to his first squad. It did mark a shift of generation, of focus and in theory, style. Against Scotland, the suicide by a thousand passes looked more limp than against Morocco, and de la Fuente was criticised for rotating almost his entire side from their victory over Norway.
In the lead up to his second Spain squad, which will face Italy in the Nations League semi-finals, and then the winner of Croatia-Netherlands should they be victorious, there were a number of reports claiming concern within the RFEF that they had ‘made a mistake’. The players were apparently disappointed, and two of the future generation, Dani Ceballos and Gavi, are having a feud depending on who you listen to.
Lies travel faster than truths on the internet, and both Luis Rubiales and de la Fuente have denied all of these. Still, if the latter was supposed to be a beacon of good relations with the people spreading that information, Rubiales might be back on the Merlot if he had dared to read the tea leaves.
Returning to the current squad, ten more changes were made (the squad had to be three shorter anyway), and it caused more than a few Carlo Ancelotti impressions. Thundering back came the old guns Jordi Alba and Jesús Navas, while Juan Bernat was also included, like Alba, straight from the bench.
De la Fuente had said in his first press outings that he would be placing special emphasis on form, and it was implied that he would bet on younger players - many of which have come through under him. Rodrigo Moreno harks back to Lucho’s first spell as Spain manager, and Navas’ inclusion means that despite Sergio Busquets’ departure, Spain again have a 2010 World Cup-winner in their squad - one of seven over-30s.
There is no arguing that a title is close, and winning it would buy him time, credit and peace and quiet for a little while. The clash against Italy will be just his third, and judging a manager after that amount of time is cruel even by neo-liberal standards. So far though, whichever path de la Fuente is taking, he appears to zag at every turn, choosing to veer in a different direction, rather than easing into a course correction. Another wrong turn, and the Spanish summer will be especially scalding for de la Fuente.
Goalkeepers: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Unai Símon, David Raya.
Defence: Dani Carvajal, Jesús Navas, Aymeric Laporte, Robin Le Normand, David García, Jordi Alba, Juan Bernat.
Midfield: Rodri Hernández, Martin Zubimendi, Gavi, Mikel Merino, Fabian Ruiz, Sergio Canales.
Forwards: Dani Olmo, Álvaro Morata, Joselu Mató, Rodrigo Moreno, Marco Asensio, Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino.