De la Fuente: Yamal Channels His Genius to Serve Team Play
Spain's coach praised Yamal's genius and service to the team, while Czechia lost to England.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Amman – AFP – Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, whose team are world and European champions, praised Barcelona star Lamine Yamal for his outstanding performance, which included two goals and an assist, in Spain’s 4-1 victory over Croatia in the second matchday of Group 3, League A of the UEFA Nations League. De la Fuente commended Yamal’s ability to harness his talent to serve the team’s collective play.
Speaking at a post-match press conference, De la Fuente said: “As you know, I don’t like to focus on individuals, but sometimes it’s impossible to ignore it. I must highlight Lamine’s work, both individually and collectively. He is an incredibly generous player who dedicates all his talent, genius, and brilliant footballing style to the team.”
He added: “It’s wonderful to have him in our squad. I always repeat that.”
When asked about Yamal’s (19) chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, the Spanish coach stated that football owes Spain “more than one player,” a reference to Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta during their time at Barcelona.
Regarding Spain’s impressive unbeaten run, which has now reached 40 matches, De la Fuente insisted that his team has not yet reached “its full potential” and that they will inevitably face a “reality check” that brings them back down to earth.
In the same group, England secured their first win against hosts Czechia 2-0 in Prague, benefiting from a numerical advantage.
The third-ranked English side, who lost 3-2 to Spain in the opening matchday, boosted their hopes of reaching the competition’s semi-finals for the second time, ahead of two upcoming fixtures against Croatia in Zagreb on October 3 and against Czechia at home on October 6.
Meanwhile, Czechia, under their new Spanish coach Santi Denia, suffered a second consecutive defeat, following their 2-1 loss to Croatia.
The first half saw the dismissal of Czech midfielder Pavel Scholtz after a review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for a violent challenge on Elliot Anderson (25th minute). The home side also suffered a second blow when midfielder Adam Karabec was forced off with an injury (45th minute).
In the opening matches of the third matchday today, Germany (one point) face Serbia (no points) and Greece (six points) play against the Netherlands (four points) in Group 2, while Denmark (three points) take on Portugal (six points) and Wales (zero points) face Norway (three points) in Group 4.
