As contentious as ever, and after a Spain roster that has generated much discussion, Luis Enrique was left with little wiggle space at the 2022 World Cup. Since La Roja came to Qatar with certainties, but also a lot of worries, few people were able to anticipate what they would be able to achieve.
Despite the former Barcelona coach's best efforts, his side were eliminated from Qatar 2022 with the stigma of being called 'boring' still hanging over their heads from the fans' reactions to the team's performance. Even though they had a significant advantage in shots on goal and corner kicks, they were eliminated by Morocco in the mid-week after a shootout.
Although they won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012, respectively, it has been a whole decade since Spain last won a major prize. And Luis Enrique's employment was the result of this crushing disappointment. After four years in charge, the RFEF decided to relieve the managerial great of his responsibilities on Thursday.
Spain pick out Luis Enrique's successor
The Spanish Football Association didn't spend any time finding his replacement, naming Luis de la Fuente on the exact same day. The former U23 team coach took home silver at the 2020 Olympics and won the U21 European Championship in 2019.
"The sports director, José Francisco Molina, has forwarded a report to the president, Luis Rubiales, in which he recommends the choice of the coach from La Rioja, until now the U-21 coach, to lead the new stage that begins after the World Cup in Qatar," the RFEF said in a statement.
Having joined the RFEF in 2013 as the under-15 manager, Marco Asensio, Unai Simon, Eric Garcia, Pau Torres, Pedri, Carlos Soler, and Dani Olmo all had De la Fuente as their youth coach. His first two games in charge will be in March 2023, when Spain take on Norway and Scotland in an effort to reach the 2024 European Championships in Germany.
Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla, and Alaves were all stops in de la Fuente's professional soccer career. In 2013, he became the head coach of the Spanish Under-19 national team, continuing a management career that he started in 1999. He has since coached the U21s and U23s, but he will now have the task of his life as head coach of the senior team.
