De la Fuente: This Team Keeps Getting Better

Before his press conference at the Estadio Chivas in Guadalajara, following Spain's 1-0 victory over Uruguay, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente extended his condolences to Didier Deschamps on the passing of his mother. He also offered his support to fellow Spanish coach Joaquín Caparrós, who is battling colon cancer.

“It was a tough, very intense match, demanding our full concentration at the highest level. The Uruguayans played with excessive aggression at times, but that's what the referees are there for – to enforce the rules. The players understood the circumstances perfectly, and we did what was right and necessary to win,” de la Fuente began, with his characteristic smile.

However, Spanish journalists immediately pressed him with questions about whether American referee Ismail Elfath had been strict enough in applying the rules and if such behavior could lead to serious injuries.

“We focus on our own performance on the pitch during the match; we don't want anything handed to us, but we also don't want anything taken away. We operate independently of the officiating, and that's the one aspect of the game we can't control. Refereeing is very difficult, but there are tools that can help. I hope that from now on, we can play normal matches. I have enough on my plate with my own coaching duties and don't want to get involved in officiating. Let everyone take responsibility for their own tasks,” de la Fuente responded.

“I am very proud of this team. Very. It's getting better and better, with many different options. This was a match that was the complete opposite of what we like in terms of football, and they knew how to handle it. What more can I tell you?” the specialist noted.

“We are on the right track, and here we are, 34 matches unbeaten. We've reached where we wanted to be. Now we need to recover and rest well. We have long journeys, and recovery is key, almost more so than the footballing aspect,” de la Fuente emphasized.

When asked if injuries, particularly to key wing players, were weighing on certain areas of the pitch, he replied: “The idea doesn't change. The question is which players we will use. I think we will lose Yeremy Pino due to a collarbone issue. We will see tomorrow, but in all likelihood, he won't play any further part,” the La Roja coach shared.