After over a decade of disappointment, Spain has made a triumphant return to football’s peak by reaching the Euro 2024 final in Berlin.
La Roja, who won back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and the 2010 World Cup, seemed poised to dominate football for years. However, their fall from grace was swift and surprising.
Spain’s 2014 World Cup defense ended in early humiliation with a 5-1 defeat by the Netherlands, leading to a group stage exit.
The two-time defending champions were eliminated by Italy in the Euro 2016 last-16, with newspaper Marca labelling it “The End” for Vicente del Bosque’s La Roja.
The 2018 World Cup saw Spain fall at the same stage against Russia on penalties, completing over 1,000 passes but failing to overcome the hosts.
A better showing at Euro 2020 took a young side to the semi-finals, but the 2022 World Cup last-16 defeat by Morocco was another painful exit.
The Spanish football federation, however, believed the team was close to where they needed to be.
They replaced coach Luis Enrique with Luis de la Fuente, who had coached national youth sides for years with success.
Despite early jitters, including a 2-0 defeat by Scotland last year, Spain stuck with their little-known coach and are now reaping the rewards.
De la Fuente led Spain to their first silverware in 11 years by winning the Nations League last summer, pledging it was only the beginning.
Under his guidance, La Roja has been the standout team of Euro 2024, dominating a tough group featuring defending champions Italy, and later beating hosts Germany and France.
Spain’s success is even more remarkable considering their line-up boasts few recognizable stars beyond Manchester City midfielder Rodri.
Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, 16, is poised to dazzle the football world for years to come but is only just starting his career. On the opposite flank, Nico Williams has also burst into the limelight and may get a big move this summer from Athletic Bilbao.
The team includes many ‘misfits’, such as Marc Cucurella, who has struggled at Chelsea, and Saudi Arabia-based Aymeric Laporte, among others who are not standouts for their clubs.
Despite the lack of superstars, De la Fuente is unfazed. “I have 26 great players and I’m just lucky that they are Spanish,” he said.
Unlike final opponents England, whose coach Gareth Southgate is sometimes reluctant to replace struggling icons, or France building around a sub-par Kylian Mbappe, Spain accepts everyone is on an equal footing.
“The big difference to all the (other) countries is that we are a team and there is no one leader above the rest,” explained Barcelona’s Pedri before the tournament.
De la Fuente’s pragmatic approach and willingness to try different tactics have paid off. Spain still enjoys possession but also releases explosive talents like Yamal and Williams, allowing them to take risks and beat their markers.
While other coaches might opt for a possession-friendly midfielder on one flank, De la Fuente goes full throttle with both wingers.
Luis Enrique’s Spain tried to pass teams to death, but at times in Euro 2024, La Roja has had less than 50 percent possession. De la Fuente knows his players well, having coached the vast majority of them over the past few years.
He won the U19 Euros with Spain in 2013, the U21 Euros in 2019, and silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Seven of the starting line-up from the Tokyo Olympics have played at Euro 2024.
“I know the players very well, what we had available to us and we needed time to do what we are seeing now,” said De la Fuente this week. “I am not surprised by it. Cooking this up… is a long process but we knew the decisions and the path we had to take.”
