Luis de la Fuente struggled to hide his emotions as he celebrated Spain’s World Cup triumph, saying he felt immense pride after his side beat Argentina 1-0 in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Monday to secure their second title.
“I don’t want to cry, it wouldn’t look good, but I am very emotional after having looked back,” De la Fuente said, reflecting on Spain’s journey to glory. “We’ve talked a lot with the players, we’ve given everything, and this is marvellous.”
A late extra-time strike from Ferran Torres sealed Spain’s victory in a dramatic final against the defending champions, handing De la Fuente’s team their second World Cup crown after their 2010 success.
The Spanish coach hailed his players for their progress, commitment and loyalty to their style of football, saying he was proud to have been part of their journey.
“I feel so much pride for this generation of footballers, who have kept improving, always faithful to our idea of football,” De la Fuente said after the victory.
“They are great footballers, with exceptional talent. But above all, I’m proud to have accompanied them on this journey. For me, it is an honour”, he added.
The 65-year-old admitted he was emotional after watching his team complete their historic campaign.
De la Fuente said the squad had become an example for Spanish football and the country as a whole. He said, “These players have given us an example of a group, of a team, a family, role models for Spanish sport, Spanish youth, Spain itself. Together we are stronger, nobody can doubt that.”
Reflecting on the final, the Spain boss admitted the match could have been settled earlier but praised his players for handling the pressure of the biggest stage.
“The game could have been decided a long time before, but this is a World Cup final and even against 10, you have to suffer,” he said. “But we like to suffer, we’ve shown we’re ready for everything.”
