Luis de la Fuente, the Spanish coach, stopped by the press room at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium in Tenerife in advance of tomorrow’s match against Switzerland, with the team already qualified for the quarterfinals of the Nations League. The Rioja coach seemed very relaxed: “Tomorrow there will be changes, but it will still be a great team. We will present a very competitive team. My job is to know Spanish football well. I have worked with all these footballers and I knew that they were good and that, apart from the great present we have, we were going to have a great future. “Spanish football is very healthy,” he stated.
De la Fuente wanted to evaluate the Nations League, a competition of which Spain is the current champion: “This competition is as complicated as a Euro Cup. The difficulty is the same. Any of the rivals that we face in the quarterfinals will not be easy.”
First in the FIFA ranking
It’s very exciting
Although tomorrow there is nothing at stake if Spain wins it would become first in the FIFA ranking. De la Fuente is excited: “We have the possibility of being first in the FIFA ranking and that is very nice. The way we’ve gone down that path is fantastic.”
The coach praised Casadó: “Casadó has surprised us all. On the field everyone sees him, but off the field he is a humble, sensible boy who integrates very well into the group. “It didn’t surprise me because it’s very good.”
He also had words of recognition for Álvaro Morata: “Morata will leave an important legacy and we will realize it over time. He has played for great teams and has won titles, but he is also a great captain and an example for young people. I would love for him to be recognized more, but the public is becoming more and more devoted to him.”
The valuation
A dream season
Finally, De la Fuente highlighted Samu Omorodion: “He has great potential and is a specialist in taking advantage of free spaces. The important thing is that Samu is with us and, therefore, has the opportunity to make his debut with the national team and start what could be a great career.”
Asked what grade he gave to the team, De la Fuente was not very specific: “We have done our job, but we have given up our lives. “It has been a dream season, but there is always room for improvement and we want to end the year with a victory against Switzerland.”
Pedri
A pride to play in Tenerife
After Luis de la Fuente, Pedri stopped by the press room and spoke about how well he feels: “There are a lot of games, but I’m trying to find the key so that injuries don’t come. Today I think I have found that key to feeling good on the field. “I feel comfortable in my club and in the national team.”
The Blaugrana was asked about his renewal: I am very calm. There is no news, so everything is fine.” For Pedri it is very special to play here: “They have asked me for 45 tickets. I don’t think I’ll ever forget playing here. Tenerife is my home, my island. My memories are very beautiful. It’s my childhood, it’s my life,” he commented.
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