The Mestalla, Luis de la Fuente’s first great stage

On 8th March 1981, a certain Luis de la Fuente, wearing the Athletic Club shirt, stepped onto the Mestalla pitch in the 58th minute to play his first minutes in La Liga. A debut he still remembers 44 years later: “It’s a day I will never forget; it was very emotional. It was a massive fixture at the time, a Valencia vs Athletic match. I have great memories because it was a very happy day. What now lives on from that version of Luis de la Fuente are the person, the values, and the principles.”

The Spanish coach returned to Valencia CF’s stadium this Friday, 21st March, but this time as the national team manager, with over 20,000 people present for a charity training session. “It’s very moving to see people proud of their national team, to see them so engaged with the squad—it’s really special,” he commented after the session.

Now, Luis de la Fuente stands on the verge of leading Spain into the UEFA Nations League Final Four. To achieve this, the team must put in a strong performance against the Netherlands following the 2-2 draw away at De Kuip in the first leg of the quarter-finals. “It would be a recognition of the hard work these players have put in; they are doing a fantastic job and are a very talented generation. We have to beat a very tough opponent. We would love to reach another final, just like we did two years ago,” the Spanish coach explained from the stadium where his top-flight footballing journey first began.