In 2015, however, he found a path to success that he has hardly strayed from since: on his third attempt, he lifted the U-19 European Championship title after a 2-0 victory over Russia in the final played in Katerini (Greece), with a squad that included Rodri and Mikel Merino, as well as Unai Simón as the backup goalkeeper.
The first two, who have since become mainstays in his midfield, arrived at this latest World Cup under similar circumstances, having suffered and overcome serious injuries and without enough playing time to regain their form.
De la Fuente not only waited for them—in Merino’s case, until the very last moment, though as the coach said, “if it had been necessary, I would have gone to pick up Mikel from his house in my arms”—but he also placed his full trust in both of them (especially in Rodri, who has started every match). And they, despite not performing as hoped in the group stage and even facing criticism, have more than repaid that trust: the Manchester City player emerged as the best midfielder of the World Cup, and the Arsenal player scored crucial goals in the final minutes of very tough and hard-fought knockout matches, such as those against Portugal and Belgium.
And then there’s Unai Simón, the goalkeeper for Athletic Bilbao, De la Fuente’s beloved team. The Riojan has always backed him without hesitation ever since he called him up for that now-distant U-19 European Championship. Sometimes, against all odds, especially when the Basque goalkeeper faced competition from goalkeepers at clubs that were, on the face of it, bigger—as has happened on this occasion: when he looked at the bench, he saw the best goalkeeper in La Liga, Joan García (FC Barcelona), and the best in the Premier League, David Raya (Arsenal), who were unable to take his spot because the coach from La Rioja has always trusted him. And Simón, for his part, delivered by conceding only one goal all the way to the final.
For all these reasons, after defeating France, De la Fuente shared a special moment with the three pillars upon which he began building his cathedral: “We embraced each other and said, ‘Who would have thought, back in 2015, that 11 years later we’d find ourselves in the World Cup final after a journey like the one we’ve had?’” the coach told the media.
That long-standing and special relationship has undoubtedly had an impact on the field. As Mikel Merino acknowledged to Cadena SER, it’s “very difficult to find a coach who not only gives you so much confidence but then proves it… It’s one of his strengths: how he manages this group. And the confidence he gives us, we return to him with all our hearts.”
Luis also instilled that confidence in other players during his years with the national team’s youth ranks—players who have since become essential members of the senior squad in recent years, such as Fabián, Dani Olmo, Mikel Oyarzabal, Eric García, Cucurella, Zubimendi, and Pedri. With them, he went on to win, among other achievements, the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Italy and an Olympic silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
