There is a particular brand of calm that settles over a camp when a manager truly believes. Luis de la Fuente, Spain's national team coach, has it in...
There is a particular brand of calm that settles over a camp when a manager truly believes. Luis de la Fuente, Spain's national team coach, has it in spades. Speaking ahead of Thursday's crucial knockout clash with Austria, he claimed he grows 'more optimistic every day'. For a nation that has not won a World Cup knockout tie since 2010, that is not just a soundbite; it is a statement of intent. La Roja have endured the trauma of early exits in 2014 and 2018, and the memory of those failures still lingers. Yet de la Fuente's steady hand suggests a team that has learned its lessons.But the elephant in the room, or more accurately the bit of muscle on the treatment table, is Liverpool's Victor Munoz. The midfielder has been integral to Spain's transitional play, a player who can break lines with a single pass and add a layer of steel to the midfield. De la Fuente updated the press on Munoz's fitness, offering a typically guarded prognosis. The manager hinted that the player is 'progressing well' but stopped short of confirming his availability for Austria. This is squeaky bum time for the medical staff. If Munoz is absent, Spain lose a critical outlet for their high press and quick combinations. They would have to rely on a deeper lying setup, which could make them more predictable against a well drilled Austrian low block.What de la Fuente has built, quietly and without fanfare, is a side that marries technical brilliance with a newfound resilience. Gone is the possession for possession's sake. This Spain side is more direct, more willing to hurt opponents in transition. They are clinical when it matters. Against Austria, a team that will look to sit deep and counter, Spain's ability to unlock a packed defence will be tested. Without Munoz's instinctive movement and vision, that task becomes infinitely harder. But the manager's unwavering optimism might just be the emotional anchor this squad needs. After all, in football, belief is a currency that can buy you a trophy.If Spain are to end their knockout phase hoodoo, they need everyone fit and firing. De la Fuente knows this. He is not a man prone to hyperbole, so when he says he is optimistic, you listen. The next few days will determine whether that optimism is founded on genuine tactical flexibility or merely the hope that Munoz can shake off his knock in time. For the fans back home, the wait is agonising. For de la Fuente, it is simply another day of preparation. This is the beautiful game at its most nerve shredding. Roll on Thursday.
