Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente reviewed Spain’s 3-1 win over Georgia, securing first place in the group and a spot at Euro 2024, while addressing the serious knee injury to Gavi.
“We will wait for the tests to determine the severity of the injury. Our player is calm. This is the most painful and difficult victory I have experienced in my life. The whole staff awaits a precise diagnosis. He traveled to Barcelona for tests, and we hope the news will be as minimal as possible,” the national coach said to La1’s microphone.
“This is an extremely tough moment for the Spain squad. It felt like a loss; we are broken. In football there are risks, and that is the ugly side of it. It is something entirely out of our control. I’m very sorry for the player. I’m broken, shattered. He did not expect these things to happen. Sometimes we think we are invincible, but we are fragile. The locker room at halftime looked like waking up from a bad dream,” he expanded at the press conference.
He also clarified: “He did not need to see the previous blow. When he hit a checkpoint, he stepped further and his knee gave way. The first game had nothing to do with the second.” If the prognosis holds, the injury could sidelined him for the rest of the season, including the European Cup and the Olympic Games. “It was an accident. He came in not playing the weekend, very fresh. If you had seen him on Friday, he wanted to train with those not playing. The plan is not to have him play 90 minutes. It could have happened to any player. The calendars are like this, and we accept that at the start of the season,” De la Fuente argued.
Notes and renewal
De la Fuente analyzed the match from a sporting perspective on the José Zorrilla pitch, saying: “We took the initiative, but it is not easy to win. That is why we should appreciate the 1-7 output against Georgia, where execution met our plan perfectly. We are pleased that our game plan came true.”
The Spanish team clinched Euro 2024 by finishing first in Group A with 21 points, seven wins and one defeat. Asked to rate the eight-game stretch at the end of 2023, he replied: “I would give the players an outstanding grade, nearly a certificate of honor. I am happy to collaborate with them in a great way to secure qualification for the European Championship.”
Finally, as with all of the coach’s matches, renewal questions arose. “We are very calm. It is time to rest now. The moment will come to discuss my renewal. When two sides want to understand each other, they will. I am very pleased with the Federation, and I hope the Federation is pleased with my work,” he concluded.
[Source notes: this summary reflects statements from the press conference carried by national outlets and team communications.]