LAS ROZAS (MADRID), Dec. 12 (.) –
The president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, assured this Monday that they decided to bet on Luis de la Fuente leading “the new project” with the absolute men’s team after deciding to end the stage of Luis Enrique Martínez and that the communication of this decision to the Asturian was “in terms of affection, recognition and admiration for the work carried out”.
The leader was at the presentation of the man from La Rioja as the new coach, whose contract will come into force on January 1, 2023 and whose appointment was approved this Monday by the RFEF Board of Directors “unanimously” until 2024 “and hopefully for much more weather”.
“We witnessed a new project, but also a change in the structure of the men’s team. On Thursday we told Luis Enrique that we were going to start a new project in terms of affection, recognition and admiration for the work done,” explained Luis Rubiales .
The president of the RFEF denied that the decision not to have Luis Enrique, with whom he has a “magnificent relationship”, had extra-sporting reasons in mind. “A new project had to be started and the project had to be led by Luis de la Fuente,” he said.
“It was a communication by the Federation after different conversations, a new project is something common in the world of football. At all times we wanted to talk to sit down, but two years ago ‘and peak’ we decided with Luis Enrique that we would talk after the World Cup He has not told me that he wanted to continue because the conversation went through other ways to face a new project”, he stressed, reiterating that his relationship with the Asturian “is magnificent, even affective on a personal level” and that the RFEF ” It’s your house.”
On the appointment of De la Fuente, he made it clear that both he and Luque and Molina “agree” that he was chosen, and also thanked the sports director for doing “a ten job, with loyalty and professionalism.” “He wanted to start another project in June 2023 when his contract ended, but we have decided to do it now because there was no point in waiting, and it will help us in this transition,” he warned, confirming that they still have to work “two or three weeks for the restructuring of the lower categories”.
In addition, Rubiales explained that Albert Luque “will not” replace José Francisco Molina as sports director of the RFEF but will be the director of the team, a newly minted position in the new structure of the federation after the non-continuation of Luis Enrique and Molina after the World Cup in Qatar.
“Luque is a well-known and very brave person, and he comes to contribute in a different position, structured transversally. He will be the one who coordinates all the departments and the ‘boss’ of the new coach,” he added.
For his part, the former international Albert Luque said that he trusts De la Fuente, the “captain of the ship”, “one hundred percent” and assured that the new national coach of ‘la Roja’ is going to show that “he is one hundred percent capable for one hundrerd”.
“I feel fully qualified for this position. Quick decisions had to be made and after Luis Enrique’s non-continuation, the president asks me what my bet would be for the next challenge, and I told him it would be De la Fuente. Molina told him that he would He likes it too. I’m here to help him with everything and make things easier for him,” he stressed.
