THE FUSE

Luis de la Fuente, the Spain manager, took on directly the criticism and insinuations directed at Lamine Yamal, after some had questioned the Barcelona star's desire to join up with the "La Roja" camp in preparation for the match against the Czech Republic in the UEFA Nations League tomorrow, Thursday, or spoke about him receiving special treatment compared to the rest of the players.

De la Fuente looked visibly angry at Wednesday's press conference when asked about those who believe Yamal "dodged" the national team. He responded: "Speaking from a position of ignorance is the most saddening and regrettable thing in life."

Yamal's absence, the Spain coach explained, was down to a physical problem rather than any decision to stay away. He said: "Lamine suffered an injury and felt discomfort in his knee. He went for the usual treatment, and they found fluid in the knee and inflammation. That required rest."

As the newspaper "AS" highlighted, he added: "Our medical staff, in coordination with his medical staff, and myself, decided that the best thing was for him to stay at home and train with his club, then join us on Friday. Is that clear now?"

"He does not enjoy any privileges"

He did not stop there. De la Fuente confronted the talk that Yamal receives special privileges within the national team head on, insisting the player is treated exactly like his team-mates.

"I am here to clarify that inside the dressing room," he said. "This is what I mean by the sophists, I am here to clarify the matter. He does not enjoy any privilege."

Warming to the theme, he continued: "We would have done the same with any other player. It does not bother me. We miss all the players who are not with us. This is football, and these are the injuries."

Both Yamal and his team-mate Mikel Oyarzabal are heading in the right direction, the coach confirmed. He said: "I spoke with Lamine Yamal and Oyarzabal, and the progress is good. He is doing a series of exercises and we believe he will be with us on Friday."

De la Fuente: "I cannot stand lies and fabrication"

Again the Spain coach rounded on the news and insinuations aimed at Yamal, stressing that it is the circulation of what he calls inaccurate information that bothers him most.

He said: "There are things that reach me, and what hurts me most is the lies, the lack of accuracy and credibility, and the fabrication. Faced with that, I try to reveal the truth."

"That is why I sometimes say more than I should," he added. "This is my way of revealing reality, through the data. I cannot stand people who try to deceive you and lie to you."

What about Rodri's absence?

Rodri's absence and its effect on Spain's style of play drew a measured response, the coach arguing that every player has qualities that cannot be fully replaced.

He said: "Everyone has similar qualities, but every detail cannot be replaced. For me, the best player in the world in this position is Rodri, and Zubimendi is second."

He added: "Zubimendi is very useful to us, and gives us what the team needs, even if in a different way."

43 matches unbeaten: the target is 44

Spain's current run stretches to 43 games without defeat, and the coach made clear his side will not settle. They want to beat the Czech Republic tomorrow.

He said: "We must look for every point of motivation. We already have great motivation, and we want to secure competing for first place with England."

"I was talking about the ambition of this group," he added. "We want to continue achieving things. No one expected us to reach 35 matches, but after reaching 43, we want to reach 44."

Ambiguous stance on goalkeeping

Who starts in goal? De la Fuente refused to say, offering a sarcastic deflection: "If I tell you yes or tell you no, I have already revealed it. I am going to be creative."

He then added: "Whoever we put in will perform well. I did not know Vallés, but he fits our philosophy. Within two days he became one of us. That makes me very happy. And Álvaro, with his understanding of the context, has also become one of us."

Unai Simón earned special praise, the coach describing him as "the best goalkeeper in the world" and lauding both his personality and his development since the pair met when the keeper was sixteen or seventeen.

Spain is not thinking about England

England can wait. De la Fuente insisted the looming fixture does not affect Spain's focus ahead of the Czech Republic, saying: "No, because we want to win tomorrow. There is only this match."

He added: "It is very important, because we do not know the result England will achieve in their match tomorrow. We have to go out to win."

Aymeric Laporte, he revealed, will not train because of a viral condition, and the technical staff do not yet know how fit he will be for the match.

"The Czech coach is my teacher"

A tough night awaits, the Spain coach warned, recalling that the previous meeting between the sides in Spain was anything but easy.

He said: "The match we played in Spain was difficult to settle. They have a good team, and they proved that against us. Here tomorrow, in front of their fans, the match will be very difficult."

Ivan Hašek, the Czech coach, drew warm words too. "He is my friend, and I spoke with him this morning," he said. "I know him well and I learned a lot from him. He taught me how to be a national team coach. He will do a great job."

Who will inherit the number 10 shirt?

On the future of the number 10 shirt worn by Dani Olmo, De la Fuente said he spoke with the player last week and that his condition was improving.

He explained: "The numbers are chosen by the players according to seniority. It does not matter to me, and I have no obsession about it. I do not know who will choose the number."

I am the Head of shifts and oversee content. I have over 15 years of experience in sports journalism. I studied media and have worked for a number of Arabic print newspapers and websites, but the most significant milestone in my career was joining Kooora, the leading Arabic sports website, in 2016.

I always strive to provide reliable content, backed by numbers and statistics, free from exaggeration. I love the language of numbers because it knows no flattery. I have covered major soccer events, with a special focus on highlighting Arab soccer stars and their impact on the global stage.

Throughout my career, my work has focused on covering soccer—whether Egyptian, Arab, or international—and my interest has now shifted to Saudi soccer, following the massive boom the Kingdom has experienced over the past few years.

I’ve been connected to soccer since childhood. My first memory of the sport dates back to the 1998 World Cup. Although I was only 8 years old at the time, the excitement of the matches drew me in deeply, and I can’t forget Zinedine Zidane’s brilliance in the final and how he led the French national team to its first title in the tournament.

Brazilian Ronaldo was one of the legends who contributed to my passion for soccer at the start of this century; his goal-scoring style was amazing—he never missed in front of the goal. Then Cristiano Ronaldo emerged, and to this day I consider him my favorite player, because he inspired me with a sense of challenge and an unwavering desire to win, and this has been reflected in my writing style.

My articles focus on coverage of the Saudi Pro League, as well as other leagues such as the English Premier League, La Liga, and the UEFA Champions League. I also follow the transfer market closely and try to analyze the deals.

If you asked me what my fondest soccer memory is, I couldn’t think of anything better than the moment Egypt qualified for the 2018 World Cup—especially since it was our first qualification in 28 years, and the first time I’d ever seen my national team compete in the world’s biggest soccer tournament.

As for my all-time favorite lineup, it is as follows: Iker Casillas in goal. Paolo Maldini, Sergio Ramos, Cafu, and Roberto Carlos on defense. Andrés Iniesta, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldinho in midfield. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Ronaldo Nazário up front.

Throughout my career, I’ve published a number of my favorite analyses and articles on Kooora, including:

A massive budget and a disappointing elimination... Why did Al Ahly fail at the Club World Cup?

Concerns over Salah’s rest and the opening of the black file... Will Liverpool regret the Firts deal?

The Benzema Law rules Al-Nassr... Ronaldo charts his future the French way

Alonso solves Klopp’s puzzle… Arnold: from defensive liability to offensive weapon

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