Luis de la Fuente held his fifth press conference in the space of a week as the Spain head coach spoke to the media at Oviedo’s stadium ahead of the team’s match against the Czech Republic. The game will see De la Fuente come up against two coaches he knows well, Santi Denia and Pablo Amo.
On the withdrawals, De la Fuente said: “The drawback of this format is that there is little time to recover. We prioritize the player's health and prefer there to be a player in perfect condition.”
De la Fuente also discussed the possibility of rotating his goalkeeper: “When we talk about rotations, we mean choosing the players who are in the best form for the match. In every position. Usually the goalkeeper position remains more consistent, but there can be a change in any position.”
Speaking about Santi Denia and Pablo Amo, De la Fuente said: “We have just been with them. We know each other very well, but the ones who change matches are the footballers, the ones who give a different feel. They know how we play, but it is not easy to defend against us and you always have to keep an ace up your sleeve. I haven't told them everything I knew.”
De la Fuente also spoke about Lamine Yamal and his development: “We will field the most suitable team for tomorrow's match. We have it in mind, but tonight we will give it the final touches. If he starts from the beginning, it is because we believe that is when he can be most influential. Every day he is more mature. It is a pleasure to watch him. He comes across as a person who accepts any suggestion. It is very good news.”
The Spain coach also praised the development of Spanish coaches: “It is all the result of training. You have to invest in footballers, but the ones who train them well are the good coaches. Coaches are increasingly better prepared.”
On the Czech Republic, De la Fuente said: “There are no easy matches. You have to be excellent in every match. They are a very difficult opponent who can be a trap for those who do not know them, but they are not going to surprise us. A lot of people will be surprised when they see them.”
De la Fuente was also asked about the situation involving Cristiano Ronaldo: “I can't comment on it because I don't have the facts. Every situation is unique and unrepeatable.”