Luis de la Fuente has made clear that neither star names nor outside pressure will dictate his choices as Spain manager, with the latest example coming in his firm defence of the decision to delay Lamine Yamal’s arrival at the national team camp.
Speaking at a news conference in Prague, De la Fuente rejected speculation over the Barcelona forward’s delayed integration and said the decision, as with Mikel Oyarzabal, had been his alone.
“Talking out of ignorance is the saddest and most regrettable thing in life,” he said.
De la Fuente insisted Yamal had received no special treatment and that Spain would have handled the situation in exactly the same way with any other player.
“He has no special privileges. We would have done it with anyone,” he added, criticising what he described as lies, fabrication and a lack of accuracy and credibility.
The episode follows a similar dispute with Barcelona in November 2025. On Monday, 10 November, the first day of the international camp, the Spanish Football Federation said it was surprised and unhappy to learn that Yamal had undergone a minor radiofrequency procedure to treat pain in the pubic area without informing it in advance.
Yamal had initially been included in the squad before being withdrawn because of his condition. De la Fuente told Cadena SER that Barcelona should have explained its intentions earlier, while retaining the right to make the decision it considered best for the player. He later described the situation as astonishing in an interview with RNE.
The Spain manager was less direct when responding to Hansi Flick, despite disagreeing with the former Germany coach’s criticism of how Yamal had been managed. Flick said the player had joined Spain injured, taken painkillers to play and then completed more than 70 minutes in each match despite Spain leading by three goals.
Flick argued that protecting young players should be a priority. De la Fuente replied: “I lacked empathy from him, because he had been a national-team coach himself.”
His selection policy has also applied to established players. Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Morata were left out of Spain’s World Cup squad after questions over whether they might return. De la Fuente said Carvajal needed time to recover his best level and prove he could contribute, adding that previous call-ups did not guarantee future selection.
Sergio Ramos faced a similar fate. De la Fuente called excluding the former Real Madrid captain from Spain’s Euro 2024 squad one of the most difficult decisions of his career, having also resisted calls to select him for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
“Sergio Ramos knows how much I value him,” De la Fuente said. “I admire greatly what he represents, but I am sure he understands why I made this decision, because he is a professional footballer and a great team-mate.”
In March 2025, Brahim Diaz chose Morocco after feeling he had not received enough support from the Spanish set-up. De la Fuente said representing Spain must be a player’s choice, not the result of pressure: “They must be available, want to do it and be selected. The second is the most important; nobody is forced to play for Spain.”
He cited Aymeric Laporte, Robin Le Normand, Yamal, Samu Omorodion and Dean Huijsen as players who chose Spain willingly. He has also urged the media to protect Yamal, who was 17 during the European Championship, from excessive expectations.
During Euro 2024, De la Fuente substituted Yamal in the 61st minute against Germany. When the player appeared frustrated, the manager said: “A player has the right to want to play, but complaining in that way is disrespectful to the player who replaces him.”
For De la Fuente, flexibility does not mean surrender. His approach is based on the team’s needs, with the final decision remaining the manager’s responsibility.
