Nobody expected much from the Spain of Luis de la Fuente when he arrived in Germany to face the Eurocup. Not even winning the Nations League title had increased support for a team with a low profile in the media and with a coach without a particularly outstanding career on the club benches. However, the ball puts everyone in their place and after beating Croatia in the first half and overwhelming Spalletti’s Italy, Spain has become the most convincing team in this Euro Cup, although it is still not included among the favorites. At the Donaueschingen base camp you work without pressure and, as Nico Williams recalled in the Gelsenkirchen press room after receiving the award for best player of the match against Italy, “We like to go low and add phases little by little until we reach the final.”
Legacy of Aragonés, Del Bosque and Guardiola
Although flattery weakens, De la Fuente is clear that “we were neither as bad before nor now as good as they say. We know perfectly well how far the team can grow and the humility of the group is key to doing so.” Luciano Spalletti himself warned in the press room that “everyone wants to copy the style of Spain”. A style that no one can define, beyond the taste for dominating with the ball at your feet following the heritage of the Spain of Luis Aragonés or Vicente del Bosque, and pressure after loss that Pep Guardiola’s teams always showed. This last trait that all rivals highlight. Beyond these stylistic appreciations or tactical and strategic similarities, this Spain of 2024 begins to resemble the Spain of 2008 that won the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland.
In that 2008 tournament Luis Aragonés bet everything on the ‘tiqui-taca’ with physically weak players like Xavi, Iniesta or Silva leaving aside the famous ‘Spanish fury’, now De la Fuente has evolved that possession game towards a more vertical and aggressive style in attack with two wingers as unbalanced as they are young (Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams). Changes in playing style that were questioned then and now, until the results have proven both coaches right. In that edition, Spain was not among the favorite teams for the title, as happened at the beginning of this one in Germany. Despite not being a clear candidate, Luis de la Fuente, like Luis Aragonés then, has instilled in his players the idea that “we are the best team in the tournament” and it only goes “win, win, win, win and win”….
Similar paths in the group
Spain began by beating Russia (4-1), in a match in which he stood out for his forcefulness with three goals from Villa and one from Cesc. The team was built from the core, with Xavi, Iniesta and Silva guarded by Marco Senna. To verticalize the attacks up with the stampedes of Fernando Torres and the diagonals of David Villa. On this occasion, De la Fuente’s team also started winning by three goals difference (3-0), against a Croatia which was sentenced to rest with goals from Morata, Fabián and Carvajal.
Spain then suffered to defeat Sweden (1-2), as on this occasion has suffered to do the same with Italy (0-1), also by a single goal margin. Then Torres and Villa scored and now Calafiori has scored with an own goal. These two wins qualified Spain directly for the next round, which allowed Luis Aragonés to present an eleven on the last day of the group formed by his second unit with Queen; Arbeloa, Albiol, Juanito, Fernando Navarro; From the Network, Xabi Alonso; Sergio García, Cesc, Iniesta and Güiza. Something that De la Fuente will repeat on Monday. Furthermore, they then beat the current champion at the time, Greece, by (2-1) with goals from De la Red and Güiza. AND In this they have also beaten the current champion of the tournament, which is Italy. Next Monday’s match against Albania will be the first time since the 2008 European Championship that the team will face the last group match mathematically classified as first in the group.
Athletic forward, a Betic and goodbye to the figures
Coincidences that many see as coincidences, but within the call they begin to generate an enthusiastic effect that makes them believe even more in this team that seeks the 4th European Championship for Spain. In 2008, Spain faced Italy in the quarterfinals, going through penalties, then beat Russia, again, with a resounding victory (3-0), and in the final they defeated in the Viennese Prater with a goal from Atlético Torres, although by then he was already from Liverpool. Many hope that De la Fuente’s men can close the group with victory against Albania, and then emulate the trajectory and results of Luis Aragonés’ Spain. And who knows if it will be another Atlético player like Morata who can decide that final.
Another detail that makes footballers more gullible is that The last time a Betis player played with the national team in a Euro Cup, Spain ended up being champions. The player was Juanito, in 2008, and now the participation of another green and white footballer is repeated, with Ayoze who was about to score twice against Italy.
For all this, it is said that De la Fuente is putting on the face of Luis Aragonés. They are two different personalities and two different ways of understanding football and life. But their teams have managed to subdue, for the moment, the rivals who met them in the Euro Cup. The work of the Haro technician is under construction, but the pillars and foundations seem firm. There was even a lot of noise in both of their locker rooms before the start of the Euro Cup. Aragonés decided to do without Raúl, while De la Fuente did the same with Sergio Ramos. Two contrasting Madridistas separated from the group to reduce the media focus on it, maneuvers that have gone well in both cases.
2024-06-22 04:50:35
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