Luis de la Fuente stands firm as Spain boss refuses to bow to pressure

Luis de la Fuente has again demonstrated that he will defend his decisions, regardless of the player involved or the criticism they provoke.

The Spain manager appeared calm during his latest news conference in Prague, but adopted a firm tone when questioned about Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal’s delayed arrival at the national-team camp.

“Talking out of ignorance is the saddest and most regrettable thing in life,” he said, bringing an end to speculation surrounding the matter.

De la Fuente explained that delaying Yamal’s arrival, as had also happened with Mikel Oyarzabal, was his decision and that all parties had agreed to it apart from him. He also rejected suggestions the Barcelona player had received special treatment.

“He has no special privileges. We would have done it with anyone,” De la Fuente said, while expressing his frustration at what he described as lies, fabrication, a lack of accuracy and a lack of credibility. His comments were reported by Spanish newspaper AS.

Barcelona dispute repeated

The latest disagreement follows another dispute involving Yamal in November 2025. On Monday, 10 November, the first day of the camp, the Spanish Football Federation said it was surprised and unhappy to learn that the player had undergone a minor radiofrequency medical procedure to treat pain in his pubic area without informing the federation in advance.

Yamal had initially been included in the squad before being withdrawn because of his condition. Speaking to Cadena SER, De la Fuente said Barcelona should have explained its intentions beforehand, while retaining the right to make the decision it believed was best for its player. He later told RNE he had never faced a similar situation.

De la Fuente was less severe when responding to Hansi Flick, who had criticised Spain’s handling of Yamal. Flick said the teenager had joined the camp injured, taken painkillers to play and then spent more than 70 minutes in each match despite Spain leading by three goals. He argued that protecting young players should be a priority.

De la Fuente criticised Flick’s remarks but added: “I missed the empathy because he had been a national-team manager himself.”

His approach has also meant leaving out established names. Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Morata were omitted from the World Cup squad, while De la Fuente said Carvajal needed time to recover his level and prove he could contribute. Previous selection, he stressed, guaranteed nothing.

Sergio Ramos was excluded from Spain’s Euro 2024 squad and had also missed out on the Olympic selection for Tokyo 2021. De la Fuente called leaving out the former Real Madrid captain one of the hardest decisions of his career, but said: “Sergio Ramos knows how much I appreciate him… but I am sure he understands why I made this decision.”

In March 2025, Brahim Diaz chose Morocco after feeling Spain’s support had arrived too late. Assane Diao later selected Senegal. De la Fuente said players must be available, willing and selected, with willingness the key principle: “No one is forced to play for Spain.”

He has also urged the media to protect Yamal from excessive expectations. During Euro 2024, when the player was 17, De la Fuente warned against celebrating him one day and questioning him after two scoreless matches.

When Yamal reacted angrily to being substituted in the 61st minute against Germany, he delivered another team-first message: “A player has the right to want to play, but complaining in that way is disrespectful to the player who replaces him.”

For De la Fuente, flexibility does not mean surrender. From Yamal and Ramos to Carvajal, Morata and Brahim Diaz, his decisions are guided by readiness, commitment and the needs of Spain’s collective rather than reputation.