With Spain having already punched their ticket to the knockout stages of EURO2024, they are now looking to go through as Group B winners – with Albania the only team left standing in their way of achieving that goal.
But the task is no easy one, with Albania knowing that a win over Spain could well see them make it through to the knockout stages of the tournament as one of the best third-placed teams, or perhaps even second in the group, should Italy’s clash with Croatia go in their favour.
The two sides will meet in Düsseldorf with the match kicking off at 20:00 BST [21:00 CEST] on June 24th.
What did Luis de la Fuente say?
The final Group B games of the tournament have arrived, and for Spain, just one point will guarantee they will progress to the knockout stages as group winners after having won their opening two contests.
For manager Luis de la Fuente, this is his first major tournament with Spain and he knows that a win in tomorrow’s clash would not only be a signal of intent for how far La Roja could go in the tournament, but that with it could come ‘prestige’ and ‘recognition’.
He does stand pat on his group’s mentality going into the game, insisting that they will still play it “as if it’s their last,” even though they know they have at least another contest to come.
“There’s a lot at stake tomorrow – there’s prestige, recognition and we want to keep improving. We’ll approach this game as we have all the others, as if it’s the last. Of course, we have a game plan for the players we feel are apt for this game. We’re only focusing on winning because we want to win every game.”
Of course, de la Fuente was referring to his potential starting eleven selection, with speculation rife as to whether he will rotate his squad knowing that qualification is guaranteed – but the manager insists that he will be sending out the best players for his team’s set game plan, and isn’t thinking about potential injuries that could come along with that.
“The last thing we want is injuries. We’re only focused on sending out the best players for our game plan. Of course, you might say this player is rested or that one is rested, but this is a tournament with seven games. We can’t worry about injuries or suspensions.”
Should he opt to rotate, though, one player who could come into play is 21-year-old Fermín López, who is waiting for second cap after having made his debut in Spain’s pre-EURO2024 friendly against Andorra in which he grabbed an assist. De la Fuente remained coy over whether the Barcelona man would perhaps feature in tomorrow’s clash, though.
“He has already made his full international debut, but this is a tournament. He’s ready and excited. He’s a great player – that’s why he’s here with us. Of course he could play, like everyone else,” de la Fuente said to the media. “We’ll see in line with our game plan who starts, and there are others I want to showcase. They can come on to improve the team’s performance. Fermín is important and he’s earned his place in our squad.”
But their opposition have been one of the surprising teams of the tournament so far, scoring in each of their previous contests against Italy – after only 23 seconds – and forcing a draw against Croatia after a last gasp strike from Klaus Gjasula in the 95th minute.
Their ‘never give up’ mentality, though, has been, in part, fuelled by their strong following in the stands, and de la Fuente acknowledges the role the Albanian support has to play – though he does feel confident in his side to get the result they are looking for.
“Albania have fantastic fans and have already sprung a surprise here. We know it will be really tough tomorrow. We’ll make the changes we feel are right We have complete confidence in our 26 players here. It’s not that I don’t make mistakes. Everyone has a chance to play here at a high level, so I’m very calm about that.”
One particular strength that Albania have showcased, is their effectiveness from set pieces, and de la Fuente highlights that as something where he knows Spain need to be on the very top of their game of in order to mitigate the threat.
“We know how strong Albania are and any team can hurt you from set pieces. But we’ve also shown how strong we are, both in attack and defence from set pieces. Games can come down to small details, and that could be one that decides the game. We want to control that and we don’t want to be surprised by set pieces.”
But, as has been a recurring theme for the manager throughout the European Championships so far, he is remaining ‘calm’, believing his team possess varying attacking options which could be ‘unpredictable’ for any opponent they are come up against going forward.
“I’m staying calm. We know we have room for improvement. We’re progressing and achieving our targets. We want to be a competitive team that’s ready to beat our opponents and adapt to different situations in games. We can play in different ways so that gives us options and we can be unpredictable. We’re very optimistic and full of confidence.”
What did Jesús Navas say?
Accompanying de la Fuente was veteran winger Jesús Navas, in what is his third major tournament, and first since EURO2012 where he became a European Champion for the first time – just two years after being a part of the Spanish squad that won the 2010 World Cup.
After going over a decade since winning his last major title with his country, though, the 38-year-old feels that winning once again would be a ‘unique’ experience, while noting that his team have played an ‘incredible’ brand of football so far.
“It’s wonderful to be here as players. It’s brilliant for our fans and our country. The EURO is to be enjoyed and winning it would be unique…The feelings are very good so far. We’ve played incredible football and we’ve been enjoying ourselves in possession. But we have to keep our feet on the ground and continue working in the same way.”
Despite having not personally taken to the field yet, the Sevilla man – whose contract with the club runs out in a week’s time – is doing his best to make an impact both on the training ground, and off the pitch entirely, with his wealth of experience integral to a relatively young and inexperienced squad.
“I contribute in every way I can. I hope I can play tomorrow and we all want to play at our best level. It’s incredible to be here and I’m so happy to be here. We all contribute – those who are older and those who are younger.”
Speaking on tomorrow’s opposition, Navas highlights Albania as a team that are ‘united’ together, which has paid dividends with their performances from kick off all the way until the final whistle: “Albania are here because they’ve been doing really well. They’ve worked hard and they’re united. We have to be strong from the first minute to get the win.”
But Navas is still confident that his team has what it takes to come out of Group B as the winners, and the winger, who once played his part in one of the most dominating Spanish sides world football has ever seen, believes this is some of the ‘best football’ this next generation of Spaniards have played together.
“This is some of the best football we’ve played,” Navas said to reporters. “We’re enjoying it, but we have to be humble and keep our feet on the ground. It’s the European Championship and we have to take it game by game.”
You can follow full coverage of that fixture, and every other EURO2024 match, right here on FromTheSpot.