Luis de la Fuente reinforced his respect for Croatia as Spain prepare for their next fixture.
La Roja defeated England 3-2, coming back from a 2-1 half-time deficit, to extend their unbeaten streak in 90-minute matches to 39 games on Saturday evening.
The head coach knows that nothing can be taken for granted if the team are going to prolong that run, and so he showed graciousness in his assessment of Croatia before the second showdown for the Spaniards in the Nations League.
‘They have players of world-class talent and a new, very competent coach’
Their opposition beat Czechia 2-1 on the opening matchday of the group phase of the tournament, sitting behind the Spanish only on goal difference. Though the ‘Golden Generation’ for the country has mostly aged out of participation in the squad, there is still a standard expected from the side.
De la Fuente will have fond memories of the penalty shootout triumph over the Croatians in the 2023 Nations League final as well as the 3-0 victory that kicked off the 2024 European Championships campaign. However, each contest carries a different story, so there will be no room for complacency.
Respect for a renewed Croatia
“I think Croatia can compete, and the first ones who must believe that are they themselves. If not, they wouldn’t bother showing up. There is no perfect rival or perfect day. The irony of these situations is that even if you’re superior you can still lose.
“We know Croatia well, we’ve played them often; they have players of world-class talent and a new, very competent coach. We must present a better version than the one we showed in London.
“The players understand it that way. Each day we demand more of ourselves because opponents get tougher every day.”
