Spain coach urges to maintain ‘ft on floor’ after flawless group stage

DÜSSELDORF, Germany — Luis de la Fuente lauded his Spain aspect for sealing a 3rd successive win and clear sheet at Euro 2024 by beating Albania 1-0 on the Area Düsseldorf on Monday.

It’s the first time Spain have ever gained all three group video games with out conceding at a serious event, with Ferran Torres‘ first half strike sealing the factors towards Albania, who exit the competitors.

Spain additionally beat Croatia and Italy to prime Group B and set up themselves as one of many favourites to go all the way in which in Germany on this summer time.

“Dreaming is free and we are the first to dream, however whereas conserving our ft on the bottom,” Spain coach De la Fuente mentioned in a post-game information convention.

“Each recreation is hard and it has loads of advantage what we did at the moment and what we’ve got performed within the event — profitable three video games with clear sheets, which is the primary ever time in a serious event [for Spain].”

Nonetheless, in a warning to the remainder of the competitors, De la Fuente mentioned this Spain aspect can nonetheless enhance as they wait to search out out who they may face within the final 16 in Cologne on Sunday.

“We’ve had an excellent group part,” he added. “The performances towards Croatia and Italy had been at a really excessive degree. The attacking statistics — I do not know what number of possibilities we created towards Italy — but in addition the defensive statistics have been good as effectively.

“However, in fact, we will nonetheless enhance. We do not conform. We’ve an exquisite era of gamers who wish to enhance and are so bold.

“We’ve a phrase we are saying within the dressing room after each recreation: first, we thank everybody for his or her work, however then we are saying all the things will be improved upon tomorrow. I can enhance — I am the primary who can enhance — and that applies to all of the gamers and the technical workers.”

With qualification to the subsequent spherical assured earlier than the sport, De la Fuente made 10 modifications to the beginning lineup towards Albania, with third alternative goalkeeper Álex Remiro the one participant within the 26-man squad who has nonetheless not been concerned.

Of those that got here into the aspect, Barcelona ahead Torres caught the attention, scoring the one aim of the sport, his twentieth for Spain, and incomes UEFA’s Participant of the Match award.

“That is the important thing to this group,” Torres mentioned of Spain’s squad depth in a information convention. “We will all think about ourselves starters and are prepared when wanted. That is the important thing.

“Anybody can resolve the matches. Gamers coming off the bench are crucial as effectively, as a result of plenty of objectives have been scored on the finish of video games. I wish to make issues troublesome for the coach.”

Albania, in the meantime, exit the competitors after choosing up only one level from their three matches, a 2-2 draw with Croatia, though with their heads held excessive after competing effectively in one of the vital fearsome teams.

As was the case of their opening recreation towards Italy, a 2-1 defeat, they solely misplaced to Spain by the odd aim they usually got here near equalising by way of each Kristjan Asllani and Armando Broja. “I am pleased with my gamers and for the nation,” coach Sylvinho mentioned in a information convention. “It is solely our second time on this competitors and we’ve got managed to compete towards three nice nationwide groups.

“Individuals mentioned we might concede three to Italy, 4 to Croatia and 5 towards Spain, however the gamers believed within the work they usually made large sacrifices. They did not cease operating.”

The previous Brazil worldwide mentioned he had hardly slept throughout six months of planning for the event, including that he wouldn’t have swapped the expertise of dealing with a few of Europe’s prime nations for a better group. “It was a troublesome draw however it’s a must to get used to taking part in in competitions of this degree,” he defined. “I misplaced many hours of sleep desirous about this event — the right way to cease these three groups — however we competed at a excessive degree and the nation will probably be proud.

“We have to get used to taking part in in tournaments like this. We may have conceded 4 or 5 objectives towards all these groups, however we did not and I am pleased with that. I’m drained, it has been virtually six months of little to no sleep, however I’m pleased with the nation I symbolize.

“I’d not change [the group]. The expertise for us and the entire nation has been sensible. My gamers left all the things on the pitch and they’ll bear in mind this for the remainder of their lives.

“They’ll take into consideration this the subsequent time they go on the pitch. Nobody was humiliated. We had been taking part in on the prime degree. They had been good for me as a coach. This was pure gold.”