Luis de la Fuente says Lamine Yamal has the ‘anxiety of genius’ ahead of Croatia test

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente says Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal’s desire to keep improving reflects the “anxiety of genius” rather than any negative pressure, as La Roja prepare to face Croatia away on Tuesday.

Yamal has scored Spain’s opening goal in each of their three matches during the current international break, and De la Fuente described the teenager as a naturally competitive player.

“Yamal has the anxiety of genius, the anxiety of exceptional talent,” De la Fuente said at his pre-match news conference. “It is not negative in this case. He is always hungry for more because he wants to be the best.”

De la Fuente also praised the mentality within his squad, saying: “We have a team with exceptional passion because all our players never tire of competing.”

The Spain manager did not confirm whether Yamal would start against Croatia, but noted that the forward was performing at the highest level and had played more than any other member of the squad during this international break.

“All players want to play, and then we assess how suitable that is,” De la Fuente said. “Lamine is at the top of his game and is a natural competitor. We have always tried to select the best possible team for every match, and that is what we have done throughout this competition.”

De la Fuente also discussed Dani Olmo, for whom the match carries particular significance because of his history in Croatia.

Olmo started Spain’s matches against England and the Czech Republic but did not play in their first meeting with Croatia. De la Fuente said the midfielder understood the importance of returning to the country.

“He knows exactly how important this match is,” said De la Fuente. “We will assess the best time for Dani to play, but he is extremely motivated and very popular in Croatia.”

Spain’s manager focused on Croatia’s qualities rather than dwelling on their heavy 7-0 defeat by England in their most recent match.

“For me, they are a great team,” he said. “They have been one of the leading national sides in recent years. What happened in the last match was an isolated incident.”

De la Fuente expects an intense atmosphere when the teams meet and said Spain welcomed the challenge of playing in front of a passionate crowd.

“We will find an enthusiastic and emotional atmosphere, and that is something we like,” he added. “It will be a great match. I like to feel the passion of the fans, whether they are supporting us or opposing us.”

Spain lead their group with nine points after winning their opening three matches. Croatia are third with three points.