Luis de la Fuente, Spain's national team manager, sat down with The Guardian in Dallas to answer readers' questions ahead of the last-16 World Cup clash against Portugal. The session covered a range of topics, from advice for young star Lamine Yamal to the difficulty of selecting a squad and the quality of Spain's current midfield.
World Cup memories and Cape Verde
When asked about his most iconic World Cup image, De la Fuente chose Andrés Iniesta's 2010 final goal. "Because of what it means for Spain, it has to be Iniesta's goal," he said. "I would have been at home watching it. I have always been very into the national team."
Regarding Cape Verde's strong performance against Spain in the group stage, De la Fuente was not surprised. "Before the tournament I said it was going to be a historic World Cup and that people would discover lots of national teams... One of those is Cape Verde. We were not surprised by their performance."
Advice for Lamine Yamal
On facing Portugal's Nuno Mendes, De la Fuente advised Lamine Yamal to "be yourself, enjoy football, with the responsibility that comes with it." He noted that Yamal has grown significantly: "Lamine is not the player he was a year ago; he's another player, more mature, more assured."
Borja Iglesias and squad selection
De la Fuente emphasized the importance of all squad members, including Borja Iglesias. "Borja is a very important player," he said. "His role is to make the rest of the players better because he is very good and that makes demands on the rest." He admitted the hardest part of being manager is selecting players. "You have to choose, and the hardest thing when you name a squad is leaving out someone who could be here perfectly."
Midfield comparisons and Pedri
When asked if the current midfield matches that of the 2010 World Cup winners, De la Fuente stated: "In my opinion, and I say this with the greatest of respect to everyone, we have the best midfield in the world." He listed Rodrigo, Zubimendi, Fabián, Pedri, Olmo, Merino, Baena, Gavi, and others. "That was an extraordinary midfield as well, it's true. Football changes, but I would put us at almost the same level."
On Pedri, De la Fuente called him a magician. "He does things that are extremely difficult and it seems easy. Very few people can do that. He plays with an astonishing ease. He sees passes the rest of us don't see. That's something geniuses have."
Integration and philosophy
De la Fuente sees football as a tool for integration. "Football is a reflection of society. There's a role for football to play in integration. Football is a powerful tool for unity, it's a school of values." His favourite word is "respect". "With respect as the starting point, you can build anything. The edifice of coexistence is built upon foundations of respect."
Oyarzabal and style
On Mikel Oyarzabal, De la Fuente predicted he could become a coach. "He understands every aspect of the game, the moments of a match, the decisions he has to take. And one day he will be a coach, because he sees the game so well." When asked about inspiration from Brazil's 1982 side, he credited his players: "Those players have forced us to evolve an idea according to their qualities. I knew I had an idea, but they made my idea better."
Personal touches
De la Fuente defined happiness as "colour, life, health, and it's being able to enjoy moments with family and friends." On the Spanish tortilla debate, he declared: "Without onion! I don't eat it. I inherited my mum's taste."
