Spain's 64-year-old manager Luis de la Fuente heads to the World Cup with a side many regard as the team to beat. The European champions' rise, he says, is built on one simple word: family.
"We want the Spanish national team to be a family," De la Fuente told Reuters. That bond, forged through years of shared dressing rooms and junior tournaments, gives his squad confidence and serenity.
De la Fuente's route to the top was unusual. Once a hard-working full back for Athletic Bilbao, he spent a decade inside Spain's youth system. When appointed senior manager three years ago, parts of the media mocked him as "Luis de la Who?" His answer: Nations League glory in 2023, the European Championship in 2024.
A practicing Catholic, De la Fuente says he has no interest in settling old scores. "Time puts everyone in their place," he said.
His greatest advantage was once treated as a weakness: he rose step-by-step with many of his current players. Mikel Merino, Mikel Oyarzabal, Dani Olmo, and Fabian Ruiz all won the European Under-21 title under him. Rodri and Unai Simon go back even further, to the Under-19 European Championship in 2015.
"Our relationship goes beyond the purely professional," De la Fuente said. "When someone speaks from a place of confidence, from that conviction, knowing that it will get through to you, touch your heart and convince you... I think we've already won a great deal."
Spain's job in Group H is to get past debutants Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay, as they bid to win the country's second World Cup title after their 2010 triumph.