Luis de la Fuente, the coach of Spain, has said that he would treat Thursday’s semi-final match against Italy in the Nations League as if it were his “last game” in command of the team.
The 61-year-old manager took over for Luis Enrique in December, when Spain was eliminated from the World Cup in the round of 16, but he has come under fire in the lead up to the “final four.”
In March, Spain was defeated by Scotland in a Euro 2024 qualifying match by a score of 2-0. Despite winning his first match in command of Spain against Norway by a score of 3-0, the performance was not very impressive.
“We are concerned about making it to the final. “There is no ‘next day,'” De la Fuente said at a press conference on Wednesday. “I look at it as if it’s my last game — not just now, but always.”
“The only way to face something with energy, with desire, and giving absolutely everything you’ve got is to convince yourself that it’s the last chance you’ll ever get,” said author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins.
“But I’ve always done it, that’s how it is; I always play every game as if it’s my last.” We’re going to give it our best, and I’m not going to worry about what happens after this.”
The Euro 2012 championship game was Spain’s most recent victory, which they won by a score of 4-0 against Italy.
“It’s a historic opportunity to win a trophy in two matches, and we’re ready to face a game of this level,” De la Fuente stated. “We’re ready to face a game of this level.”
“Spain has some of the best players in the world, but we’re competing against teams that are in the same position as us. We have the ability to win any title.”
“Right now, we see Italy as a national squad that is pretty comparable to ours. We have had a very limited amount of time to work on developing our concept, and we are currently in the process of doing so.
“This might be the final of the World Cup or the Euro. The finer points will determine the outcome, and we will perform to the standard that is expected of us.
This week, members of the team, such as Jesus Navas and Unai Simon, as well as the defender Jordi Alba, came to the coach’s defense after the criticism that was leveled against him.
“I think he’s very calm, everyone has to be united,” said the left-back, who is presently without a club after having left Barcelona. “Everyone has to be united.”
“Sometimes the players are the ones who have to take a step forward in order for the game to progress. We are unable to cast doubt on the work that is being done, and I believe that the job is of a very high quality.
Progress
Despite having won Euro 2020 and having advanced to the final by virtue of a victory over Spain in the semi-final, Italy is also in the process of rebuilding.
They were unable to qualify for the World Cup in 2022, which is a problem that continues to plague them.
Roberto Mancini, the head coach of La Roja, said that his team has access to a larger and more talented pool of players than this one has.
According to Mancini, who was speaking to reporters, “Spain dominated for a number of years and then they had a few issues, but the quantity and quality of players they have at their disposal is greater than what we have available.”
They have been playing this particular style of football for a good number of years at this point.
Inter Milan, Roma, and Fiorentina all made it to one of the three European club football championships this season, but none of them were able to win any of them. Despite this, Italian football has had a rebirth this season.
Mancini went on to say that it was really encouraging for us because all three Italian clubs have a lot of Italian players on their rosters.
They suffered a terrible setback since none of the three of them deserved to fall short in their individual championship matches. Football is a brutal and peculiar sport.
Mancini also brought up the fact that Italy’s under-20 squad competed in the World Cup final for their age group, although they were defeated by Uruguay a week ago. Mancini mentioned this fact.
Leonardo Bonucci, a seasoned defender, was called up by Roberto Mancini despite having a rocky season with Juventus despite being at the opposite end of the age spectrum.
The 36-year-old player said that he was hopeful the matches in the Nations League would provide him with an opportunity to demonstrate his worth once again, even to himself.
According to Bonucci, “it is essential to give myself an answer as to who I am in order to determine if I am still a big player for everyone.”
Bonucci reflected on some recollections of his matches against Spain during the course of his career, especially the crushing loss they suffered in the final of Euro 2012 in Kiev.
“There’s a little apprehension when you face Spain, for the way they play the game, making you move one side to the other,” he continued. “It’s because of the way they play the game.”
“However, over the course of the past few years we’ve been able to build something that’s comparable to Spain’s playing style.”