Luis de la Fuente demands rotations before Spain‑Croatia clash in Seville
Coach Luis de la Fuente announced that there will be changes in Spain's line‑up for the match against Croatia, which will be played tomorrow Tuesday at 20:45 at the Sánchez Pizjuán in Seville, a decisive encounter for the group leadership in the Nations League.
Several regular starters will rest, while Croatia arrives refreshed under the direction of Slaven Bilić. The match, played in the historic Seville stadium, will determine who leads the group.
«Everyone is fine. There are players who need to have a rest. The team needs to be refreshed a bit», explained the coach, adding that those waiting for their turn «deserve it» and that the ones who are «better prepared» will start.
Tight schedule and need for rotations
De la Fuente highlighted the calendar's demands: four matches will be played in ten days, starting with the duel against England at Wembley and, three days later, the encounter against Croatia in Seville. Afterwards, on October 3, he awaits the Czech Republic in Oviedo and, subsequently, the return match against the Croatians.
«It is tremendously demanding to play 4 matches in 10 days», he admitted. «We will not change the entire squad, but we will make changes. We will compete as we should».
Praise, absences and message to the opponents
The coach defended the rotations by citing a statistic that shows that players who come off the bench have a great influence on the final result. «Rotations will be because everyone has the right to play and there is great talent. Everyone would fit into two starting line‑ups. We have the best players in the world», he said, assuring that the changes do not cause him any concern.
He highlighted Fermín López, describing him as «in fantastic form, gives energy, talent, class. He is very complete, he is top in Europe and in our team».
Regarding Eric García's departure from the squad, he explained that the centre‑back had been planned for Wembley as a replacement for Pedro Porro. «If we had been in a final stage he would have stayed, but since we were not sure he would reach the third match, this is better. In any case we were not going to look for conflict. We want them to play when they are certain».
De la Fuente warned that the opponent is «a new and difficult match, with players of great talent and desire, also with a new coach, which gives them confidence». He recalled that Slaven Bilić made his debut in his second spell with the Croatian victory in Prague (1‑2) over the Czech Republic, with goals from Luka Modrić and Marco Pašalić. The coach also spoke about the Ballon d'Or, saying that «history owes Spain more than one Ballon d'Or» and that he would be delighted to win the award. Finally, he remembered his time at Sevilla in the late eighties and confessed that stepping onto the Pizjuán turf took him back to 1987: «Coming to Seville gives me a special emotion». To a rookie coach he left the motto: «Don’t give up, keep being consistent. Life has shown me that by doing that you at least have opportunities».