De la Fuente refuses to comment on Ronaldo situation before Spain face Czech Republic

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has declined to comment on Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation after the Portugal forward left his national team’s training camp.

Spain face Czech Republic on Saturday in the third round of their European League group-stage campaign.

Speaking at his pre-match news conference, De la Fuente said the limited recovery time between matches was affecting his selection decisions.

“We have very little time available for the players to recover,” he said. “The health of the players is our top priority, and I would rather rely on a player who is in perfect physical and medical condition.”

De la Fuente also explained that rotation did not necessarily mean making changes for their own sake, but selecting the players best prepared for each fixture.

“When I talk about rotating the players, I mean choosing those who are in the best condition for the match,” he said. “The goalkeeper position is usually more settled, but changes can happen in any position.”

The Spain manager attributed the team’s progress to training and the quality of the coaches working with the players.

“All of this is the result of training and hard work,” he said. “You have to invest in the players, but it is competent coaches who develop them properly. Coaches are becoming better prepared and more ready all the time.”

De la Fuente was then asked about the controversy involving Ronaldo, but said he did not have enough information to offer a view.

“The debate about Cristiano Ronaldo? I cannot comment on it because I do not have enough facts,” he said. “Every situation has its own circumstances, and no two situations are the same.”

Spain lead the group with six points. England are second on three points, level with third-placed Croatia, while Czech Republic are bottom without a point.