“The Welcome Has Been Incredible”
At 8:00pm at the Carlos Tartiere Stadium in Oviedo, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente and Marc Cucurella spoke to the media in the press room at Real Oviedo’s home ground. Spain will play their third UEFA Nations League match of the campaign here against Czechia on Saturday, 3 October, at 8:45pm.
The Spain head coach answered questions from the media:
Injuries: “I prefer to look after the players’ health and make sure we have players in perfect condition to face what remains.”
Rotations: “I more or less have the team in mind because tomorrow’s match is very important for us. We’ll finish fine-tuning things tonight and select the players we believe can help us win.”
Santi Denia: “We’ve just been with Santi and we spoke to Pablo during the journey. Preparing for this match is different. The players are the ones who shape the game. We were developed in the same style and they know how we play, but it’s the players who add the final touch. We went through our entire professional development together and shared many great moments. We’re happy that our professional paths have gone in different directions because things are going well for both of us. He is an excellent coach.”
Czechia: “At this level there are no easy matches. In every game you have to be in a position to win. You have to be in perfect condition and tomorrow could be a difficult match. We are aware of our own potential. It will happen when people discover Czechia and realise that they have some very good players.”
Spanish coaches: “It is all the result of development and education. The regional federations also do a very good job of developing coaches; everything is an investment. The coaches at the clubs are also very good, which is why we also have such good players.”
Lamine Yamal: “We have all seen Lamine become more mature every day, and it’s a pleasure to watch him. He interprets every situation very well and is receptive to any proposal.”
Asturias: “We’re delighted to be here in Asturias. What matters is not where the players come from, but the fact that they are Spain players. I’ve always received a special welcome when I’ve come here, but the airport was crazy. We’ve never experienced anything like it, with so many children.”
Marc Cucurella also answered questions from the media:
Form: “I’ve played many matches with the national team. Real Madrid is a new club for me, there are things to improve and I have to adapt to my teammates, but I’m going to give my best.”
What are you like? “Perhaps my appearance attracts a little more attention, but I’m happy with everything, both professionally and personally. Making people happy is a wonderful thing.”
Ballon d’Or: “All the candidates are my teammates, so whoever gets it, I’ll be happy.”
Real Madrid: “Everything is a process. We’ve had Luis with the national team for a long time, and many of us have been working together since the youth ranks. At Madrid, we’ve only recently started working with a new coach, so it’s too early to talk about it.”
Santi Denia: “We’ve shared a lot of experiences. He has a great staff and knows us very well, so tomorrow we expect a difficult match and hopefully we can perform at our very best.”
