Luis de la Fuente has led Spain to the Euro 2024 final after coming back from a goal behind against Didier Deschamps' France.
The Spanish coach, who has managed his country from the under-19s all the way through to the senior team, has led La Roja to the final of both competitions he has overseen as Spain boss - the UEFA Nations League and now the Euros.
He replaced Luis Enrique after their humiliating penalty shootout exit to Morocco at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and since then, he has taken Spain back to the top of international football, winning the Nations League, with La Roja now just 90 minutes away from their first major trophy in 12 years.
The 63-year-old's biggest positive is that he's had such success by playing attractive football, something you don't always see from the elite nations with the likes of England and France often employing a pessimistic setup.
In light of their semi-final victory over France, de la Fuente admitted that reaching the final of a major tournament has been on the cards since he took the role.
"I know really well what I could do with them, and I knew that we only needed time to put into practice what we've been showing so far.
"This has been cooking from the first minute I was appointed. It's a process, a long process, but we had in mind what kind of decisions we were going to make."
Spain have played by far the best football of the tournament, they look to attack games from the start with a high intensity. Everyone is involved in the attack - from the centre-half to the centre-forward. They build-up with confidence and pace, and possess a real flexibility to their attacking play. De la Fuente shared that his side are able to play such impressive football because of their self-confidence.
"We are trying to have a clear idea and a clear motto. We have the footballers to play in a concrete way, and to make the most out of them. The consequence of having that type of football, when you select players like this, you select players to play in a certain way.
"You need to believe in it. You need to make your team play in the way that the team can play. I know that this is a versatile team with many different skillsets but that's because of the players we have.
"Knowing them as we do, that gives us the chance to play them in different ways with different players who would bring in different things on the pitch. Whatever happens on Sunday, we're always going to be faithful to our philosophy regardless of the result."
Among his talented group that allow his side to play incisive football is RB Leipzig attacker Dani Olmo. The Spaniard scored the goal that sent La Roja to the final of Euro 2024, and his boss declared that it came as no surprise.
"Well, Dani Olmo is a bit like I was saying before - he doesn't surprise me in the slightest. I know him and his potential very well, he just needed time to overcome a process and an injury that he had a while back."
Ahead of Sunday's final in Berlin, de la Fuente is optimistic that his "exemplary" team will be crowned European Champions for the fourth time.
"I surely have faith, per se, but I have plenty of faith in this team because my players are exemplary. Individually, they're fantastic but collectively, the benefits of their individual qualities works for the common good.
"They're very generous in their efforts and their work rates. This is just one more sign that they're an insatiable team that wants to keep working. I'm proud to be able to direct these players.
