From jobless Luis de la Who to World Cup contender - crazy career path of Spain's boss
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 09.07.26. | 12:55
He was without work for 18 long months before bumping into a newspaper advert which changed his life
There are many ways to reach stardom, but only a few are lucky enough to get there through a genuine newspaper advert.
Spain's coach, Luis de la Fuente, who led La Roja to the EURO 2024 title, was out of a job in 2013 after being dismissed by Deportivo Alaves. He found himself out of work for 18 months.
One morning, while having breakfast and reading a newspaper, he spotted a small job advertisement from the Royal Spanish Football Federation seeking a coach for its youth setup.
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He then phoned Inaki Saez, whom he already knew from their time at Athletic Club. Saez, who was in charge of Spain between 2002 and 2004, encouraged him to submit his CV, after which De la Fuente underwent interviews and was initially hired on a provisional basis.
A short-term contract of only three months.
"They were 18 difficult months - difficult for many reasons. First, because when you're a family man, and you see months, months, and months passing by without finding a place, without finding a spot, and you also see yourself outside of what we call the 'football merry-go-round'..." De la Fuente told Marca in a video circulating on social media ahead of their World Cup quarter-final clash with Belgium.
Thirteen years after that newspaper advert, the 65-year-old tactician is within reach of a World Cup trophy, after he previously conquered Europe with Lamine Yamal and the rest of the boys.
He steadily climbed the Spanish football federation ladder: Spain U19, then U21, then the Olympic team, before replacing Luis Enrique as Spain's senior manager in 2022. Along the way, he won the U19 European Championship (2015), the U21 European Championship (2019), Olympic silver (Tokyo 2020), the 2023 Nations League and UEFA Euro 2024.
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His rise has been so unconventional, rising from an unemployed club coach to one of the most admired national team managers.
"Life puts those opportunities in front of you, those doors that open, and you have to walk through them. Sometimes people don't dare to walk through them. I'm a bit bold, so I've always taken that step forward," added De la Fuente.
The next step? Belgium. It's only the seventh time for Spain to get inside the last-8. Moreover, they've recorded 36 consecutive games without a single loss. This is De la Fuente's unbreakable Spain. The one that this Friday, in Los Angeles, against Belgium, looks to secure a spot in the World Cup semifinals.
"The sense of team that we have is tremendous," he concludes.
WORLD CUP - KNOCKOUT STAGE
Quarter-finals
Thursday
23.00: (1.60) France (4.00) Morocco (6.20)
Friday
22.00: (1.65) Spain (4.00) Belgium (5.50)
Sunday
00.00: (4.00) Norway (3.70) England (1.90)
04.00: (1.75) Argentina (3.50) Switzerland (5.50)
***odds are subject to change***