Luis de la Fuente tells Spain players to embrace their roles as Lamine Yamal faces scrutiny

Luis de la Fuente has defended Lamine Yamal amid criticism of the Barcelona forward, while challenging his Spain squad to maintain the collective spirit that helped deliver the achievement of winning the most recent World Cup.

Since taking charge in 2022, De la Fuente has built a side in which players understand the importance of competing as a united team and accept the responsibilities required of them at different moments.

Speaking on the Radio Estadio Noche programme, the Spain manager said: “The most important thing is that the younger generations, especially in this century, have undoubtedly witnessed the finest periods of Spanish football at international level.”

He added: “We want to create a winning culture and mentality, and I believe we are on the right path. That is extremely important as we face all the commitments that await us now.”

Spain are focusing on their immediate fixtures, with De la Fuente highlighting England and the matches his side must win to reach the semi-finals of the Nations League.

“We are concentrating on the short term in this tournament,” he said. “We are thinking about England and the games we have to win to qualify for the final four of the Nations League, because we are very excited about competing for another title.”

De la Fuente also praised the depth and attitude of his squad, insisting all 26 players have accepted their responsibilities without disagreement.

“All the players here are exceptional; all 26 are among the best players in the world in their positions,” he said. “But here they have understood and accepted, without any conflict, when they have to perform a particular role. They do it naturally and spontaneously. They are also aware of Lamine’s role and the media attention he receives.”

Yamal is one of the most prominent players in the Spain team and, despite being only 19, has already become one of its most important figures.

The forward was the focus of attention for reasons beyond his football during Barcelona’s 5-0 victory over Elche. Yamal endured a difficult personal evening because of his performance and his emotional reaction to being substituted, prompting widespread debate within the Catalan club and across social media.

De la Fuente said Yamal’s maturity would help him handle the scrutiny surrounding him.

“Lamine has great football maturity. He deals with everything calmly, and so do his team-mates,” he said. “They understand that every individual has a role to play at any given moment. That is one of our strengths.”

The Spain manager was particularly emphatic when discussing how much further Yamal could develop. He stressed that the player had yet to reach his peak and was still progressing both professionally and personally.

“Lamine is 19 years old. He still has a long way to go before reaching his best because he is continuing to develop in every way, professionally and personally. We have not yet seen Lamine’s full potential,” said De la Fuente.

However, the manager does not want to speculate about what Yamal may achieve several years from now. Instead, he believes the Barcelona player should be allowed to continue his development without unnecessary pressure.

“But we will deal with it step by step; we cannot predict what will happen in four or five years,” De la Fuente said.