Spain coach Luis de la Fuente celebrates after the match against France in Euro 2024.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Berlin: Amid turmoil in Spanish football over the federation boss's kissing scandal, coach Luis de La Fuente decided last November to house his Euro 2024 squad deep in Germany's Black Forest where the only external noise would come from cows or birds.
Near Switzerland and over 100 miles from the nearest tournament host city Stuttgart, Spain have trained for over a month surrounded by livestock between two large timber barns high up a curvy field near the edge of the forest.
The players have loved it, extolling the peace and happiness of their hideaway hotel. And their canter into Sunday's tournament final against England with six straight wins has certainly vindicated their boss's choice.
For De la Fuente, 63, such planning has been over a decade in the making: he began coaching Spain's Under-15s in 2013 and some of those same players are with him now in Germany.
The man mocked on social media as "Luis de la Who?" after his appointment is now hoping for a perfect end to his project.
A former hard-working fullback who made a career in the Basque region at Athletic Bilbao, De la Fuente is a low-key, businesslike and orderly man. His iron discipline is reflected in his bodybuilder physique, thanks to hitting the gym every day while most of his players are still in bed.
His demeanour is one of a man with no time to waste and purpose in all he does.
Unknown to many football fans when appointed last year, De la Fuente's profile is very different to predecessors Luis Enrique, Julen Lopetegui, Luis Aragones and Vicente del Bosque, who all had high-profile club success.
His milder personality has helped heal a broken changing room after Enrique's hardline style, according to players and insiders in the Spanish camp. Rather than military-like imposition of duties, he has won the players' trust thanks to firm but calm guidance.
"We've come from a period of strict rules. Now it's all a bit more relaxed," defender Dani Carvajal said in an interview with Spain's Marca outlet. "We have a great atmosphere - it's controlled anarchy."
Adios 'Tiki-Taka'
Knowing many of the players so well has been an advantage.
While coaching at the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), De la Fuente has worked with over half the squad in Germany as youngsters, guiding the Under-19s and Under-21s to European Championship triumph in 2015 and 2019 respectively, then winning an Olympics silver medal in Tokyo 2020.
Spain's dominant displays in Germany are the result of his long-term project, moving on from the possession-based "tiki-taka" style that helped them win the World Cup and back-to-back European Championships over a decade ago to what is now a ferociously attacking approach.
Obsessed with unlocking rivals who often deploy a deep back five, De la Fuente’s team play with relentless high pressure, fast one-touch moves and precise passing. Players show an almost instinctive feel for the positioning of teammates.
According to the players, that comes from the mutual understanding built from all those years playing and developing and spending time together.
"We know what he wants, we know the style of football that he likes to play, we know the character that he requires," midfielder Mikel Merino told Reuters.
"This is a huge edge for us as players and for him as a coach to know every single one of us, our pros, our cons. And that is why we are able to connect in a different way than most national teams. It's a chemistry that I have only seen in club football."
The ultimate test of those bonds comes on Sunday in Berlin.