De la Fuente: “Pedri and Gavi are a luxury, they are very good”

Louis of Source (Haro, 61 years old) The opportunity of a lifetime has arrived. He became a full-fledged coach within two months and took on the challenge with ease and confidence, as he knew the basics well after being a coach in the RFEF youth ranks. In the newsroom of Mundo Deportivo, which he went to meet, he also spoke in a tone of Barça, because all these years his football players have been the capital for the National Team.

[+] Watch the interview with the national coach:

At Barça he has ten players to choose from and until now he has been the base of La Roja. Can you foresee getting a lot of culé?

You don’t know how I celebrate when I go to a field and see that there are many players to choose from. For me this is the best news. The Spanish player needs continuity so he can show all the potential he has. Circumstances sometimes rule, I understand. Every club and every coach is doing what they have to do to make the most of it and meet the expectations that have been created, but what I want is for people to have opportunities and I know that when you give them to young people, they don’t will not fail.

Is it difficult to replace Busquets?

Of course. When time passes, we will remember this and other great football players. He is a great player and is at the highest level in the world. He is an amazing person, a great professional and a great colleague. He called me to tell me his decision and I only respect and support him. But it’s true that I would like to continue. There are very good football players, who will reach a very high level, but I don’t know if they will reach the level that Busi reached.

For example?

In that position is Rodri, Zubimendi, there is Marc Roca, who you know very well… There are very interesting players.

The selection was blamed for the lack of a decisive, customary player. Is there this type of footballer in Spain?

There are other types of footballers who are very important to their clubs and are still out there or working in the shadows. But I think they can contribute a lot to us, they are decisive and they will be. They must take that step, be convinced and prove it. I’m sure they will.

You remember Dani Olmo, who you know well and is one of the best in Spain in Qatar with Rodri.

For me Dani Olmo is a top player in the world. There are very few of those players, they have a level higher than others. They differentiate the players. Daniel is one of them. He has a level above many players and can be decisive.

And Gavi and Pedri, how young they were and were called the leaders of this group.

Leaders as they earn. That it comes naturally to them and others follow them and believe them. They are very good and perform at the highest level in Barcelona.

A treat for the coach.

Of course. Being a coach is a luxury. The ability to train the best players in the world for me is something very few people can achieve.

And how do you see the competition between Alba and Balde?

It favors the footballer, it favors the club and it favors the national team. Competition is always good. Hopefully across all demarcations it demands a level of competition. It looks very healthy to me, I celebrate it and Xavi handles it very well. With so many parties, everyone can participate a lot.

Coming in, but not included in the eleven is Ansu Fati. Are you worried about your situation?

Nope. It is in the process of constant self-discovery and growth. He needs to be mature, personally and soccer wise. When he regains confidence and security, we will see the best of Ansu Fati. We have yet to see the best version of Ansu. It won’t take long, naturally.

Soccer is very dynamic. In Madrid Ceballos now operates and in Barcelona Ferran Torres and Eric do not participate much.

The Ceballos case proves that young people just need continuity and trust. They did not fail, they were very good. Later, those ups and downs may make them insecure, but Ferran and Eric when they get the chance to compete again, they will show how good they are. This does not concern me, these are processes that must be covered and completed.