De la Fuente warns Spain to forget World Cup glory ahead of England clash

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has warned his players that their recent World Cup and European Championship successes will count for little when they face England in their UEFA Nations League opener at Wembley.

Speaking in an interview published by UEFA on Monday, De la Fuente said Spain must improve on their previous performances and match England’s motivation if they are to begin their Nations League campaign with a positive result.

“Nothing we have achieved so far will help us beat England – we need to be better, and that’s what I’m going to demand from the players in these few days we have to prepare: be better than we have been so far, concentrate and give our all to be better,” he said.

The 65-year-old described England as “the perfect opposition” for Spain following their World Cup triumph, saying the occasion itself should provide enough motivation for his players.

“That’s the best team-talk for a footballer: playing against England at Wembley. You don’t need any more motivation. They’re the perfect opposition to get back up to speed immediately,” De la Fuente said.

“England are a great national team that are as good as us and will be a tough test for us.”

De la Fuente said Spain would approach the fixture as the start of a new chapter despite their recent achievements.

“Knowing the players, knowing their characters, we’re going to be incredibly focused right from the outset. That is our mentality. There is always a goal to achieve, and the most important thing is the here and now,” he said.

“It’s a new story and a new film – we want to be the stars of this new film.”

The Spain coach also highlighted the mentality within his squad, saying the players remain hungry for more success despite the achievements of their current generation.

De la Fuente recalled working with several members of the squad from the youth ranks before progressing with them through the Under-21s, Olympic Games, Nations League and European Championship.

He said their journey eventually culminated in winning the World Cup, but the players quickly turned their attention to their next challenge.

“We got together after, hugged, and said: ‘Our story is amazing. We’ve completed the circle.’ A player then said to me: ‘Gaffer, what more is there for us to win?’ I replied: ‘Look, it’s the next game against England.’ That’s the mentality of this team – forever hungry in their pursuit of glory and achievements.”

De la Fuente also acknowledged that Spain’s status as world champions could give their opponents extra motivation.

“We have to deal with that exceptional motivating factor and focus on what we can control. Our opponents can think whatever they like. Whatever motivation the opponents may have, we need to use that to motivate ourselves,” he said.

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“If they’re that motivated, it’s because we’re really good and we’re world champions.”

He added: “We need to be as motivated as our opponents. That is our approach. The closer we can get to that level, the closer we’ll be to winning. If we don’t get to that level of motivation and desire, we won’t win.”

De la Fuente said Spain’s recent success had been built on continuous improvement rather than relying on past achievements.

“I’m not really one for catchy newspaper headlines. I’m all about messages that resonate with the player’s mindset and philosophy,” he said, recalling his message to the squad after winning the 2023 Nations League.

“Gentlemen, we have proved that with this approach, this philosophy, we can win. The next match is different. Let’s do things better, but building on our strengths. Let’s do it.”

He added: “And the team was progressing step by step, making strides, constantly improving. Today, we are the product of all that. Everything we have experienced. It’s a constant learning process.”

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