In the pre-match conference for Spain's match against Albania in the final round of the UEFA Europa League group stage, manager De La Fuente made it clear that despite the fact that the Spanish team is out of the tournament early, they will still go all out in their quest to win every game.
De La Fuente began by emphasizing the importance of the result, stating, "We have a lot to fight for, we're fighting for prestige and recognition. We're going to treat this game like it's our last and the players who will play will be the ones we feel are best suited for this game. We want to win every game."
When asked about UEFA's requirements for qualifications for the presidency of the Western Football Association, de la Fuente said that the team is only focused on soccer and is not affected by external factors. He said, "We only think about soccer and all the things we can't control don't affect us at all. We don't have the energy to care about those things."
Talking about the squad and players' form, De La Fuente revealed that all the players are in good form except Nacho who is unable to play due to injury. He also made special mention of rookie Firmin, praising his debut performance with the national team and saying that all players are very important to the team.
Responding to Silvinho's view that Spain can win the title even with a substitute lineup, De La Fuente expressed his gratitude while emphasizing the difficulty of the match against Albania. He said, "Of course we like to be complimented, but we know that the match against Albania will be troublesome. The opponents played well in the qualifiers and are good at set-pieces. The game is determined by details and we have to be prepared for such tactics."
Talking about Lamin Yamar, De La Fuente avoided comparing him with other players and instead encouraged him to continue working hard with humility. He said, "I don't compare Ramin with anyone and the best thing for him is to continue to work hard with humility."
On the impending transfer of several players in the team, De La Fuente said he is not worried and he believes that these professionals will give their all to the national team.
Talking about the defense of set-pieces, De La Fuente emphasized on its importance and said that the team is ready for all aspects of the game. He said, "Set-pieces are a weapon that any team can match and hurt you with. The game is determined by details and we have to limit the free kicks."
In conclusion, de la Fuente said that although outsiders compare this Spanish team to the brilliant division of 2008, the team still has a long way to go. He said, "We take this responsibility and know that we have room for improvement. We're being harder on ourselves because we want to be a competitive team and win games."
