ESpain is once again in the semifinals of a Euro Cup. His presence at those heights is beginning to become common. It’s the sixth time: two between 1960 y 2004 and four between 2008 and 2024. Four of the last five Euros have seen Spain in semi-finals. Only Germany’s nine semi-finals appear above Spain, which shares the six with France, Italy and Russia.
If for the national team it has meant a radical change, a transformation into a winning team, for its coach the semifinals are almost a habit. Since he arrived at Las Rozas In the spring of 2013, being in the top four is their normal.
The one in Munich, on Tuesday against France, will be the second time he has led the absolute team. The first was the last Nations League. He found that one, because it was an inheritance from the work of Luis Enrique. This one from Germany has worked tirelessly to take the team where almost no one believed.
The relationship of Luis de la Fuente With the semifinals he was born as soon as his adventure in the national team began. At the helm of the sub 19 he qualified for the European Championship in Greece with a generation that he maintains in this Euro Unai, Rodri and Merino. Spain was champion after leaving France behind in the semi-finals with a double of Asensio in the last two minutes.
Spain 2-1 Germany: summary and goals | Euro Cup (Quarterfinals)
Then came a period in which the sub-19 did not reach the final phase of the competition, those of 2016, 2017 and 2018. In the first two, England was the insurmountable obstacle and the French in the farewell of De la Fuente de that category.
The departure of Celades moved pieces and the sub 21 was in his hands.
De la Fuente directed two cycles of that category and in both of them Spain was in the semifinals. In 2019 to be champion in Italy, with Fabián Ruiz as Ballon d’Or and a team with Unai, Merino, Dani Olmo and Oyarzabal. Spain won 4-1 in the semifinals against France Marcus Thuram y Upamecano.
Mbappé: “Spain is used to playing in the semi-finals and playing under pressure”
Olympic silver
Two years later, in a competition marked by the pandemic and that had to be divided into two blocks, Spain reached the semifinals with Zubimendi and Cucurella. This time the coin came out tails, because an own goal by Cuenca with 10 minutes left took Spain out of the final in favor of Portugal.
A week later, a large part of that team debuted with the senior team under the command of De la Fuente. It was the famous match in Leganés against Lithuania to which those summoned by De la Fuente for Euro 2020 (which was played in 2021) could not attend due to COVID-19 positives. Busquets and Diego Llorente.
European Under-21 (Semifinal): Summary and goals of Spain 4-1 France
From these two teams, the sub 21 and the absolute team, the basis for the Tokyo Games emerged. Of the 26 of this Euro, they traveled to Japan Unai Simón, Cucurella, Zubimendi, Merino, Pedri, Dani Olmo and Oyarzabal. Fabián (Naples) and Ferran (Manchester City) were not let by their clubs.
De la Fuente’s Spain once again reached the semi-finals. A goal by Asensio in extra time against Japan secured the medal, which in the end was silver. Because Brazil took it in extra time after Bryan Gil hit the crossbar with a shot in the last minute.
In Munich on Tuesday From the source will experience its great semi-final. Because the duel against France is above all the previous ones. For now, what he can already say is that he knows how to win in all the categories he has gone through. And he has done it with a large part of the players who at Allianz will look for Spain to be in the final of a European Championship for the fifth time. And that is only improved by Germany: six.
