Luis de la Fuente, the current coach of the Spanish National Team, recently revealed that one of the reasons he got his position was due to a short article in a sports newspaper, stating that the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) was looking for a coach for their youth teams.

“I’m in the national team because of an article that was no more than two lines long in a sports newspaper, buried in the last pages. I saw that the Federation was looking for a coach for the youth categories and called Iñaki Sáez, my footballing mentor, to inquire about the possibility. From there, I started covering different stages until I got here. Some people would have liked my journey to be shorter, but here I am, and I have more to achieve,” De la Fuente said during a talk at CEU San Pablo University in Madrid.

The coach from La Rioja is the only Spanish manager to win the European Championship with three different categories (U-19, U-21, and senior). He expressed that these achievements have brought him immense joy, especially as many of the players he coached are now part of the senior national team. He also acknowledged that the recent Euro 2024 title has given him “prestige.”

“Titles with the senior team give you prestige and confidence, although I’ve always been very sure of myself because I do things with conviction and honesty. I’ve learned that if you do things with interest and effort, success will follow,” he stated. De la Fuente also shared that what he enjoyed the most after winning the trophy was seeing people celebrate and feeling their happiness.

“One of the best compliments I’ve received is being described as low-profile, and I find it beautiful because life doesn’t give you anything for free, you have to earn it. I’m very proud of the path I’ve taken because nothing was handed to me,” he added.

Regarding his role as national team coach, De la Fuente explained: “Being a national coach is different from being a club coach. When I first arrived, I didn’t know what it would be like, and I had to learn along the way. Now, I prefer to have players who give me the assurance that we can achieve something together.”

This journey, sparked by a small newspaper article, has led Luis de la Fuente to become one of the most successful coaches in Spain’s football history.