DÜSSELDORF, Germany – Luis de la Fuente praised his Spanish team for sealing a third consecutive victory and clean sheet at Euro 2024 by beating Albania 1-0 at the Arena Düsseldorf on Monday.
It is the first time that Spain has won all three group stage games without conceding goals in a major tournament. Ferran Torres' goal in the first half sealed the points against Albania, which is eliminated from the competition.
Spain also beat Croatia and Italy to top Group B and establish themselves as one of the favorites to reach Germany this summer.
“Dreaming is free and we are the first to dream, but with our feet on the ground,” said Spanish coach De la Fuente in a post-match press conference.
“Every game is difficult and what we did today and what we have done in the tournament has a lot of merit: winning three games with a clean sheet, which is the first time in a major tournament. [for Spain]”.
However, in a warning to the rest of the competition, De la Fuente said this Spanish team can still improve as they wait to find out who they will face in the round of 16 in Cologne on Sunday.
“We had a very good group stage,” he added. “The performances against Croatia and Italy were at a very high level. The attacking statistics (I don't know how many chances we created against Italy) but also the defensive statistics have also been good.
“But, of course, we can still improve. We are not complacent. We have a wonderful generation of players who want to improve and are very ambitious.
“We have a phrase that we say in the locker room after every game: first, we thank everyone for their work, but then we say that everything can be improved tomorrow. I can improve, I am the first one who can improve. and that applies to all players and coaching staff.
With qualification for the next round guaranteed before the match, De la Fuente made 10 changes to the starting XI against Albania, with third goalkeeper Álex Remiro the only player in the 26-man squad who has not yet featured.
Of those who made the team, Barcelona striker Torres caught the eye, scoring the only goal of the game, his 20th for Spain, and winning the UEFA Man of the Match award.
“That's the key to this team,” Torres said of the Spanish team's depth at a news conference. “We can all consider ourselves starters and be ready when necessary. That's the key.
“Anyone can decide the games. The players who come off the bench are also very important, because at the end of the games many goals are scored. I want to make things difficult for the coach.”
Albania, for its part, leaves the competition after adding only one point in its three games, a 2-2 draw with Croatia, although with its head held high after competing well in one of the most fearsome groups.
As in their first match against Italy, a 2-1 defeat, they only lost to Spain by a goal and were close to tying thanks to Kristjan Asllani and Armando Broja. “I am proud of my players and the country,” coach Sylvinho said at a press conference. “It is only our second time in this competition and we have managed to compete against three great national teams.
“People said that we would concede three to Italy, four to Croatia and five to Spain, but the players believed in the work and made enormous sacrifices. They didn't stop running.”
The former Brazil international said he had barely slept during the six months of planning for the tournament and added that he would not have changed the experience of facing some of Europe's top nations for an easier group. “It has been a complicated draw but you have to get used to playing competitions at this level,” he explained. “I lost a lot of sleep thinking about this tournament, how to stop these three teams, but we competed at a high level and the country will be proud.
“We need to get used to playing in tournaments like this. We could have conceded four or five goals against all these teams, but we didn't and I'm proud of it. I'm tired, it's been almost six months of little. I can't sleep, but I'm proud of the country I represent.
“I would not change [the group]. The experience for us and for the entire country has been brilliant. My players left everything on the field and will remember it for the rest of their lives.
“They'll think about it the next time they go out on the field. Nobody was humiliated. We were playing at the highest level. They were perfect for me as a coach. This was pure gold.”
