De la Fuente Praises Iraq's Performance After Draw

Luis de la Fuente, the coach of the Spanish national team, did not hide his admiration for the performance presented by Iraq in the friendly match at Riazor, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The Spanish coach admitted after the match that the Lions of Mesopotamia were a tough opponent, and confirmed that his team faced real difficulties despite the theoretical advantage.

De la Fuente explained that the Spanish technical staff studied Iraq's recent matches before the confrontation and had a perception of their playing style, but the reality on the field was different: 'The Iraqi team surprised me. We watched their previous matches and expected a certain style, but they adapted excellently to our way of playing. This made us face some difficulties, especially in the first half.'

The Spanish coach focused on the point that caused him tactical annoyance, which was the depth: 'We suffered in the depth of the midfield and the defensive depth. Iraq was closing spaces intelligently and quickly moving the ball upon possession. We were not as comfortable as we expected in such matches.'

De la Fuente's praise did not stop at the defensive aspect only, but extended to Iraq's offensive and collective form. The coach who led Spain to win the 2024 European Championship described the Lions of Mesopotamia as an 'interesting' team worth following: 'I saw a dynamic and fast team with very good players. They showed physical intensity and high pace throughout the match, in addition to a clear ease in collective play and the connection between lines.'

The Spanish national team will face Peru next Tuesday in its last friendly preparations before entering the World Cup.