De la Fuente: 'We played an almost perfect match, but we must keep improving'
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente praised his team's near-perfect performance against Austria in the World Cup, but stressed the need for continuous improvement. Spain will face Portugal in the round of 16.
After Spain's victory over Austria in the World Cup, head coach Luis de la Fuente expressed satisfaction with his team's performance, calling it close to perfect. The 65-year-old tactician emphasized that the squad must keep evolving, as every upcoming opponent in the knockout stage will be increasingly difficult.
“We played an almost perfect match, but we must keep improving. There are always things to work on. From now on, every game will be more complicated because only 16 teams remain in the tournament. Our mentality is always to get better. What stands out about this group of players is that they always want to achieve more,” de la Fuente told the media.
The coach attributed the consistent performance to long-term hard work. He thanked the players for their dedication and noted that the team knows how to become stronger. The previous game against Uruguay helped them progress, and this victory will also benefit the next match.
“It is the fruit of all the work we have put in. We know what we need to do to improve. The previous match against Uruguay helped us progress, and this match will also help us in the next game. I am very lucky to coach this great group of players,” added de la Fuente.
He also highlighted the contribution of players who get less playing time or do not feature at all. In his view, these individuals make the regular starters better, and the team has created its own work culture and rules that everyone follows.
Spain will face Portugal in the round of 16.
