Spain defeated Italy on Thursday to advance to the Nations League final against Croatia, and coach Luis de la Fuente said that his team’s spirits were “sky high” following the victory.
Yeremy Pino’s initial goal was canceled out by Ciro Immobile of Italy, but La Roja stole the victory late via Joselu.
After his first two games in March—the second of which was a loss to Scotland—the coach received harsh criticism.
De la Fuente told reporters, “(I feel) happiness and pride, I believe we played a very high-level game.
“We adhered strictly to the plan we had created. Our happiness and morale are at an all-time high.
The trainer gave After obtaining Spanish citizenship in May, French-born defender Robin Le Normand made his debut. Despite giving up an early penalty for handball, the Real Sociedad player excelled.
De la Fuente said, “We have seen him so many times, I felt really relaxed. He has shown to be top-drawer, cool-headed, and another player for the cause and the future of Spanish football.
He is quite composed and does not get anxious under trying circumstances. He had the unfortunate predicament of accidentally striking the ball with his hand.
“(But his level) doesn’t surprise us; he’s very good; that’s how he is.”
Roberto Mancini, the coach of Italy, said he wished he had gone into the second half with a more aggressive mindset.
The coach continued to use the 3-5-2 shape he selected at the beginning and watched as his squad deteriorated under Spain’s influence.
Because I am invested in the game and would have hoped to go to the final, I believe this setback to be important, stated Mancini.
“We had the option of switching to a back four even though we would have given them somewhat more possession than usual.
“Perhaps we should have positioned ourselves higher and attacked more. Without a doubt, we deteriorated too much in the second half.
