SPORTS
Spain announce new contract for manager Luis de la Fuente
Baku, January 27, AZERTAC
Spain have announced a fresh contract for Luis de la Fuente, two years after he took over from Luis Enrique, according to Football Espana.
After coaching in the youth ranks of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for over a decade, de la Fuente took over the senior team in the aftermath of the 2022 World Cup in January of 2023.
In his opening six months in charge, his appointment was widely questioned due to his lack of senior football experience, and a resounding defeat to Scotland in his second game. However a Nations League triumph that summer settled criticism, and set La Roja on a run that would end with a European Championship.
Last summer in Germany, fuelled by a vibrant dressing room atmosphere and a wave of young talent coming into the team, de la Fuente’s side surpassed every side that stood in their way, lifting the trophy in the final against England with a late Mikel Oyarzabal goal. The Basque forward, like a number of the senior side now, is a player that de la Fuente was familiar with from his time as coach of the under-19s and under-21s.
His contract will run until 2028, including the Euro 2028 campaign that summer, theoretically extending his stay in the job to 5.5 years. It has been something of a sore point with between the RFEF and de la Fuente, who did not feel he was getting paid enough. Diario AS report that his new deal will see him earn around €2m per annum, as he looks for glory at the 2026 World Cup.
New President of the RFEF Rafael Louzan had made de la Fuente’s contract a priority, with former interim president Pedro Rocha unable to give him a new deal due to the limitations on his powers. Spain’s next clashes come against the Netherlands in the Nations League quarter-finals in March.
