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De la Fuente: "The team is very strong mentally and has a lot of talent"

The national manager emphasizes the team's adaptation to the conveyed concepts and the effort of each and every player.
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Fri, 13/10/2023 - 12:05

Luis de la Fuente appeared delighted with the atmosphere at La Cartuja: "Thank you very much, Seville; I love you, Seville." Those were his first words in a press conference where he highlighted the "teamwork" that was evident in the second half, which "is the result of the work throughout the entire match and from all the players." This was his response when asked about the importance of the changes made during halftime and in the second half.

The national manager emphasized that the team is "very strong mentally," and even if Scotland's disallowed goal had eventually counted, "we would have known how to react." De la Fuente stressed the team's "ambition and hunger," visible in new players joining the squad and their ability to adapt.

Regarding Scotland, he pointed out that they are "the best team in defense and set pieces in our group" and highlighted the great height of the Scottish team's players. "Ending with a clean sheet is a sign that we are working well in that aspect," noted the manager.

Regarding the disallowed goal for the Scots, De la Fuente emphasized that there was an offside, which the referee indicated. Additionally, in his opinion, there was a previous foul. "In any case, he called offside, and that's it," he concluded.

Looking ahead to Sunday, De la Fuente emphasized that they will continue to work with the same intensity and the same "principles and concepts" that they are instructing the team on. He underlined the first half as a "spectacle in defensive recovery from loss," for example: "when we lost the ball, we recovered it in five or six seconds," he insisted. The manager wanted to highlight that the players adapt to these principles in just two days of training, "and that is the merit of their talent," he stressed.

Looking ahead to Norway, the opponent next Sunday, De la Fuente believes they are a team that "tries to play more than Scotland," but he expects them to also be defensive, and offensively, it will be necessary to "minimize their potential." However, he was clear: "I think a lot about Norway because we have to prepare the matches a lot; but I believe we have to focus more on our strengths."

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