De la Fuente: I don't like to highlight individual performances, and this doesn't worry me

Spain's national team coach Luis de la Fuente appeared at a press conference following the 4-1 victory over Croatia in the second round of the UEFA Nations League, held at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium.

The coach spoke about Lamine Yamal: "I don't like to focus too much on individual performances, but sometimes it's impossible not to do so. He is a very generous player, and he puts that wonderful talent he has at the service of the group. We are lucky to have him with us, and he is also a very well-liked person within the group. We are very happy with him."

Regarding the extent to which the Spanish national team has reached perfection, the coach stressed that the team is still capable of development, saying: "Due to my personal demands, I am a very perfectionist person. I am convinced that there is always room for improvement, and this group of players believes the same. This team has not yet reached its ceiling; it is a very young national team, we will die from success if we think everything is perfect, and we do not want that. There will come a day when someone loses to us, and all this will not be talked about."

De la Fuente has revealed details about Grimaldo's injury, stating: "Tomorrow we will conduct tests on him. He felt something during a slight acceleration in the passing drill. When you step onto the pitch, there are some risks. In a normal movement, he felt discomfort in his quadriceps. It won't be anything major, but it could be enough for him to miss these matches."

The coach reassured about Martin Zubimendi after he was substituted during the match, saying: "He put his hand behind him and I thought he felt discomfort, but he told me that wasn't the case. He felt his calf tighten a bit, and fortunately, there is no injury."

Spain's coach spoke about the atmosphere in Sevilla, saying: "Thank you to Sevilla, yesterday's reception was wonderful, and what the band performed was worth listening to piece by piece. The anthem was moving. There cannot be greater love for a national team, or a greater feeling of pride, than what we felt here in Sevilla."

Regarding how to manage the group and prevent discontent among players, De la Fuente said: "We are managing people first, then athletes. They know they come here to share these moments. We can form two teams of almost the same level, but there are many who must stay out of the list; these are generous people, and Mikel Merino said that, and I hope this shows in schools, about the importance of the team. There is no selfishness, and if there is some ego, it is always positive to serve the group."

The coach spoke about Fabián Ruiz and his level with the national team, emphasizing that Spanish players deserve greater recognition. He said: "We must give Spanish players much more appreciation. I have already said that history owes us Ballon d'Ors. We do not know how to value our products. It is time to acknowledge our players, as they possess the talent that qualifies them to be nominated for and win the Ballon d'Or."

De la Fuente has expressed no concern over the national team's attacking effectiveness, stating: "I am not worried about it. We are playing against big teams, and they always create some scoring opportunities. Except for the goals in London and today's goal, the team continues to show great attacking decisiveness. In other stages, I would have thought about defensive balance, but I am happy to score more goals than the opponent. I am pleased with the team's performance on both sides, defensively and offensively."

Spain's coach also praised Marc Cucurella's level, saying: "I agree. Many players, when they come to the national team, perform at a much higher level than at their clubs. They feel comfortable, confident, and secure, and thus their performance multiplies. Marc is a very brilliant player, and he has proven the level he possesses as a player. He gives us a lot."

De la Fuente concluded his remarks by emphasizing the need to maintain focus on all details of the matches, stating: "What they are doing is great. In the first half, we could have been ahead 4-1 or 5-1. We need to raise our level of focus in all situations, and when we have the ball, we must continue to impose control and manage the game."