“Luis de la Fuente is very prepared, he deserves everything good that happens to him,” he stresses about his successor
MADRID, Dec. 12 (.) –
Former coach Luis Enrique Martínez assured that he was “satisfied” with his time at the national team and for having, above all, “generated illusion” and that he did not “nor need to make a decision” about his continuity because there was no offer from the RFEF, while that he sees his successor, Luis de la Fuente, as “very prepared”, and showed himself “with desire and strength” to take over the reins of a club again, although he has not yet received offers.
“They have been intense days, but I’m very well, with the typical optimism of someone prepared for whatever comes. I finished my time in the national team and now there are countless possibilities. Now it’s time to rest and analyze everything,” said Luis Enrique in his participation this Monday in the ‘Twitch’ of Ibai Llanos.
The Asturian referred to Spain’s participation in the World Cup in Qatar. “The bad thing about this competition is that in 90 or 120 minutes everything can go to hell. It is evident that we did not have a great game against Morocco, but I have a positive reading of what the World Cup was,” he admitted.
“The group I’ve had is very good and I look at the semifinalists and I think none of them are better than us. I think we’ve lost a great opportunity and I feel bad for the players, whom we tried to convince from day one that we had real possibilities. I was the most responsible and I’m sure I’ll get things positive”, continued Luis Enrique, that he confessed, without revealing his name, that he would remove “one” from his list of 26 to bring another player, and that he reiterated that his biggest mistake could have been not having given Pablo Sarabia more minutes.
In any case, he prefers to value his four years, settled with “a job done.” “I don’t know if it’s better or worse, but I’m satisfied with what we’ve achieved and with generating enthusiasm and the desire to see the team again. We could have done better, of course, and I’m aware of having been able to help the players more”, stressed the one from Gijón.
Regarding his non-continuation, the former player recalled that he signed for four years and that the RFEF told him that they wanted him to renew after last year’s EURO. “I told them that it would be better at the end of the World Cup and that there would be no commitment because they renew you as a reinforcement, but if it goes wrong later they must compensate you and in my case it has not happened,” he explained.
After the elimination in Qatar, from the federation they informed him that there was no “offer”. “Then my contract ends. I thought I was going to have to make a decision, but it wasn’t even necessary, it’s the first time it’s happened to me. They’ve been four wonderful years and I would have acted in the same way,” he remarked.
Luis Enrique does not hide the fact that a coach is “very exposed and more so in the final phase of a World Cup”, a competition to which he does not believe he will return, although he wants to continue training. “I am in a moment of my career in which I see myself with desire and strength to take a club and develop with finesse and precision what I brought to the national team,” he warned. “As of today I have no offer,” he replied to a request in the chat to train Atlético de Madrid.
“OF COURSE I TRUST DE LA FUENTE”
The Asturian sent a “big hug” to his successor in office, Luis de la Fuente. “He is very nice and is very prepared, he deserves everything good that happens to him, I hope he achieves many successes because he is a phenomenon. Of course I trust him. It would be wonderful if he conquered the second star,” he said.
“I have tried to take the best and better capture my idea, and De la Fuente will come to tell him that one or the other is missing. I have to make the decisions and 95 percent of those I made were agreed with my ‘staff’ It is a debate that I respect and a part of my work that I accept willingly”, explained the technician.
Facing the remainder of the World Cup, he acknowledged that it would be “a hoot” for Morocco to win, but that it would leave him “the same” despite being able to say that the champion eliminated them, and that he would like it “for Leo Messi and for what which means that Argentina won”. “But if not, may the best man win,” he pointed out.
In addition, he stated that he has been “famous since he was 19 years old” and that he may also have “an opinion about celebrities that is distorted from reality.” “In the press conferences I am as I am and if you ask me one stupid thing I answer with another, and if you ask me disrespectfully I answer disrespectfully,” he declared.
Finally, Luis Enrique spoke about his facet as a ‘streamer’ during the World Cup. “It was about telling the story of the national team from another point of view, not suppressing the media, there was no negative objective in any case. One of the things I value most about this experience is the connection with the fans and that everything what came to me from the press was contaminated and was different”, he commented.
