The Spanish coach – De la Fuente reminded his players not to get too excited after they finished the group stage at Euro 2024 with a perfect 9 points and no goals conceded.

The Spanish national team has had a perfect start at Euro 2024, finishing the group stage with an impressive record: 3 wins, 9 points, and no goals conceded. However, coach Luis de la Fuente is trying to keep his team “grounded” as they enter the crucial phase of the tournament.

Spain’s final victory in the group stage was a 1-0 win against Albania, with the only goal coming from Ferran Torres. This was Torres’s 20th international goal, tying him with legend Telmo Zarra. Earlier, La Roja had defeated Croatia and reigning champions Italy to secure the top spot in Group B, considered this year’s “group of death.”

Notably, in the final match against Albania, De la Fuente made up to 10 changes to the starting lineup. Despite this, they maintained high performance and achieved their third consecutive win without conceding a goal.

This impressive achievement has led many to consider Spain a top contender for the championship. However, coach De la Fuente remains cautious amid these praises. In a press conference after the match with Albania, he emphasized, “We are all free to dream… but we must keep our feet on the ground. Being considered a favorite does not guarantee anything.”

De la Fuente understands the mindset of Spanish fans and media. He shared, “We welcome the recognition of the work we are doing and acknowledge the talent of this generation. That means we are seen as performing well. But we know how things go in Spain… today you are on top, and tomorrow you are worthless.”

The 62-year-old strategist also highly appreciated the achievement of keeping a clean sheet in all three group stage matches, considering it an “extremely difficult” feat. However, he still reminded the players not to get too excited.

“The matches were tough, but we kept a clean sheet and earned all 9 points. We need to stay calm and continue to hold on to the big dreams from the start of the tournament.”

Another noteworthy point is that De la Fuente gave almost every player (except substitute goalkeeper Alex Remiro) the chance to play in the group stage. This not only helped maintain the team’s freshness but also created healthy competition among the players. The head coach is confident that his team is ready for the knockout stages, though he admitted that not knowing the next opponent is a challenge.

“If we have been sleeping two or three hours a day, now we will have to stay up all night because the time to study the next opponent is very short,” De la Fuente said.

Despite having a perfect group stage, De la Fuente emphasized that the team still has room for improvement. He said, “That is a principle we have established in the dressing room. We are not satisfied, and this team is very ambitious.”

Ending the press conference, De la Fuente appeared determined and confident: “In any case, we will prepare mentally and be ready to give our all to overcome the upcoming knockout match… Of course, we will do it.”