De la Fuente: “I haven’t spoken to anyone from Barça” | TodoAlicante

Lamine Yamal has become, at 17, the standout name in the Spanish national team. This was evident in Luis de la Fuente’s press conference before the match against Serbia in Córdoba. The Barça winger, who returned to Barcelona on Monday due to a strain, dominated the Riojan’s speech, who attributed the decision to release the player to the player’s opinion and not to pressure from his club.

“Zero pressure, I haven’t spoken to anyone from Barça and I have a very good relationship with them. There was simply honesty from the player and I appreciate the gesture of acknowledging he is not at his best. The possibility of qualifying for the Nations League quarter-finals is important enough to appreciate that sincerity,” he explained, visibly annoyed by so many questions about the young talent.

“I’m not going to tell you my version, I’m going to tell you the truth. Lamine had a discomfort, I spoke with him to know how he was, if he could be 100% on Tuesday. He had doubts and that’s why we opted for the option of him resting,” he added regarding this episode that has marked the second part of the Spanish training camp.

“If you tell me there are people upset, it may be so, but no one has told me. I tried to explain what football is, those who have to defend it are the referees, applying the rules, because the opponent will logically use all weapons to defend against the best. Have you played football? Have you ever been kicked? It’s football,” he said, referring to his words after the victory against Denmark, where he normalized the tough play of the Nordic team on Lamine Yamal.

“Football is football and what has to happen happens. He may have discomfort like anyone else. If other teammates had those discomforts, they wouldn’t be here either. This is football and there are no more debates,” he tried to conclude unsuccessfully, increasingly annoyed by the insistence.

The Riojan responded to accusations against the national teams for the injury plague in recent times with data, giving the impression he had prepared the answer: “I’m sorry that these comments are entertained. The other day a fact came out and I’ll make it clearer, in case there is any doubt. Last year we played 17 international matches because we were lucky enough to reach the Euro final, but this year we will play ten, less than one match a month, so let’s stop going around in circles and beating around the bush.”

“The best must play”

“The best must play, if Lamine didn’t come, you’d surely criticize me. All coaches want the very good ones to play,” he concluded, before highlighting the alternatives he has to mitigate such an absence. “They are irreplaceable but in the end, we play with eleven, those who come in will make a statement to say they are here. These changes that occur due to the players’ situation provide other records. We don’t have players with the speed and dribbling of Nico or Lamine, but we do have other types. It seems we can only play the way these players do, and no, we have other options,” he assured.

Despite the criticism and partisanship in Spain due to the prominence of club football, De la Fuente continues to believe in the growing interest in the national team beyond particular interests. “Just look at all the players, everyone wants to come to the national team and 100% of Spaniards want the national team to win with the best on the field. We are in that fight because Spain is a country of clubs but I also tell you that what we saw in Murcia and will see in Córdoba confirms that people feel increasingly identified with the national team, as happens in other countries,” he analyzed as the highlight of his appearance.