Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente revealed that his team's focus is entirely on facing Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinals, refusing to talk about a potential matchup against France in the semifinals.
The Spanish national team is preparing to face Belgium this Friday evening in the quarterfinal round of the World Cup.
De la Fuente said at the press conference: "I assure you that we are not thinking about anything but Belgium, we must get past Belgium first, and for us as professionals, France does not exist now".
He continued, "Belgium is a very strong team, and includes players accustomed to winning and competing for titles. We are among the best eight teams in the world, and this will be the toughest opponent we have faced so far".
He added, "The players who do not participate regularly are the ones who make the starters better, because they force them daily in training to give their best".
He revealed, "The starting lineup is not determined because a player had a good or bad match; the matter depends on the nature of the opponent, and on the players we see as most suitable for attack or defense".
He expressed, "If we make any change in the lineup, it will not be a punishment for any player, but because we believe another player possesses the best qualities for that match".
Regarding the condition of the injured, he said: "All players are in good physical condition, but we must assess the readiness of Nico Williams and Víctor Muñoz at the appropriate time".
Regarding the match against Belgium, he said: "I never hesitate to say that we are the favorites to win, but that does not guarantee victory; sometimes you are better than your opponent and lose the match, so we focus only on what we can control".
He continued his talk about Lamine Yamal and said: "If you saw the level of enthusiasm that Lamine Yamal has, you would realize how dangerous he is to opponents, but we must calm him down so that this enthusiasm does not turn into anxiety".
He added, "The best is yet to come for Lamine, because he has not yet reached the level of brilliance we expect from him".
He concluded, "In the last match he set a great example of maturity, and worked hard defensively until he finished the match completely exhausted".
Regarding penalty kicks, he said: "We have prepared for all possible scenarios, whether in on-field training or through video analysis".
He continued, "We also trained on penalty kicks, and we have specialized players who give us great confidence if the match reaches that stage".
Regarding the memory of the 1986 World Cup, he said: "Eloy Olaya missing the penalty kick against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup was a sad day for me".
He continued, "Olaya was very brave when he took on that responsibility, and I have always lived with the Spanish national team with all my emotions, so that match left a great impact inside me".
Regarding Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina, he said: "Messi's commitment is amazing; he is never satisfied, he always wants more".
He continued, "He represents a role model for his teammates and for everyone working in football, and for every player starting his career; he is an example that whoever has the will can achieve everything he aspires to".
He concluded, "I congratulate him and thank him for everything he offers to football".
The Spanish national team qualified for the quarterfinal round after overcoming Portugal in the round of 16 with a goal to nothing, while Belgium achieved a big victory against America with four goals to one in the same round.
