The Spanish team landed late this Thursday afternoon in Copenhagen, with just enough time for Luis de la Fuente and Dani Olmo to head to the Parken Stadium to complete the mandatory UEFA press conference prior to the duel that will measure Spain with Denmark this Friday.
It will be the team’s last appearance in a year in which the Euro Cup was won and they only lost a friendly against Colombia in March, so the grade is high. “The year is difficult to improve,” said De la Fuente. «You can always improve, that’s what I think, we have room for improvement, but objectively it is difficult to improve, based on data. Our idea is next year, after finishing this one winning all the games, to continue improving. “There are new challenges.”
Spain needs a point in the two remaining games of the Nations League group stage to seal its classification as first for the quarterfinal round, and faces them with numerous casualties, something that in principle does not worry the coach: «We are lucky to have great footballers, two or three per position of a high level. We don’t like anyone getting injured, but we have to be prepared for these situations. Having Pedro Porro, Mingueza, Zubimendi, Oyarzabal, is a luxury. There are footballers to replace adverse situations.”
🗣️ Luis de la Fuente, national coach: “Having players like Pedro Porro, Mingueza, Zubimendi or Oyarzabal is a luxury.”
➡️ “These footballers are a guarantee and a security that everything will turn out well when other teammates are not there.”#VamosEspaña | #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/aG6KwDkPoy
— Spanish Men’s Soccer Team (@SEFutbol) November 14, 2024
The last to join was Pau Cubarsí, who entered the call for Pau Torres. The Blaugrana was not called up at first due to the blow to the face he received in the Champions League, but the absences made the coach reconsider, who chose him ahead of, for example, Íñigo Martínez: “I had a clear idea with Pau Cubarsí , it was our first idea but it hit him in the face. Seeing the performance against Real cleared our doubts. We were well covered with Paredes and Pau Torres but we have pulled a player who was in our plans. And regarding Íñigo, others come into my plans, they are the ones we want to count on. Without any slight, we think of other players.
On the other hand, the coach spoke about Álvaro Morata and Fabián Ruiz’s options to play in the Danish capital. «Morata has trained almost normally, we follow a protocol. Fabián has had a virus and this morning he did not train, but I hope that they are both in a position to be in the squad.
