On Thursday, Spain will begin the defence of their UEFA Nations League title. La Roja travel to Belgrade to take on Serbia, with the aim of kicking off their 2024-25 campaign strongly.
It’s been a golden 15 months for Spanish football at an international level, and the men’s senior team are coming off their success at Euro 2024. Luis de la Fuente, when speaking to the media on Wednesday (via Diario AS), revealed how he sees this next cycle for his team.
“We want to continue improving, growing, incorporating new players and records. And we want to continue to be the best. The competition is different every time, the rivals grow a lot and playing against Spain is another motivation. The only way to grow is to keep taking steps forward. We have to continue doing things much better.”
It’s been revealed in recent days that Lamine Yamal is struggling with discomfort suffered during Barcelona’s victory over Real Valladolid last Saturday, which has placed him as a doubt to face Serbia. However, de la Fuente does expect to count on him.
“The discomfort is a blow, nothing more. Let’s look no further. I have seen him calm, he is a very calm boy, a young man who is very mature for his age. With us he behaves like a person more mature than his age. We also transmit that tranquility. He has to get used to having the spotlight on him, but he’s ready for it and he’ll continue to grow and mature.”