Luis de la Fuente agreed a contract extension in September to stay as Spain boss until 2032
Luis de la Fuente agreed a contract extension in September to stay as Spain boss until 2032
Luis de la Fuente has dismissed concerns over racism in Spanish football before the national team's Uefa Nations League meeting with England in Madrid on Sunday.
Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel had earlier confirmed he would remind his players of Uefa's anti-racism protocol before the fixture, which will determine who finishes top of League A Group 3.
While he has stressed he didn't expect there to be any incidents, the visit will be England's first to the Spanish capital since a notorious 2004 encounter at the Bernabeu was overshadowed by racist chanting directed at their players.
Spain head coach De la Fuente was asked whether Tuchel's message to his players showed there was still work needed to tackle racism in Spain.
But he responded: "What I'd tell you, and you can tell Thomas, is that in Spain, there's no racism.
"Just like that, crystal clear. Just like in England, there's no racism in Spain. We aren't racist, any of us."
The Spanish Football Federation was fined last month and ordered to partially close a stadium after supporters directed Islamophobic and xenophobic chants towards Muslims during a match against Egypt in Barcelona.
In the domestic game, Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr has been a vocal anti-racism campaigner after frequently being on the end of racist chanting - and worse. In 2024 three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for abusing him at a match.
Uefa operates a three-step protocol, allowing referees to stop matches, take players off the pitch temporarily and, ultimately, abandon a game if discriminatory behaviour continues.
Tuchel said on Friday: "Maybe we take our five minutes to inform the players about the protocol if there is a precedent [in Madrid]. And then, yeah, we will give our answers if stuff like this happens. Best answers are on the pitch."
However, when asked again about his views at a pre-match news conference on Saturday, Tuchel added: "I never talk about racism in Spain.
"I answered politely a question about what happens, I never expect racism. I got asked, 'what will happen if and if and if?'. And I said, 'if it happens, there's a protocol in place'. That's it.
"But my trust is that we have a friendly atmosphere, that we have an atmosphere who is clearly in favour of the Spanish team, and that football does what it does best: brings people together and not divide people."
Midfielder Declan Rice said: "In the past, I've experienced that in Montenegro and Bulgaria and there was a protocol in place that we followed - we came off the pitch. We know exactly where we are as a group on that.
"The times we are in now, 2026, there should never be racism in football. It's shocking we still have it in the game today.
"I don't want to think about if one of our players or their players is racially abused because that would be a horrible mark on football."
'England cannot play like Spain'
Focusing on the match itself, De la Fuente believed both teams are currently at the pinnacle of world football, although he rejected the suggestion one could simply replicate the other's playing style.
Spain were crowned World Cup winners in the summer, while England finished third after losing to Argentina in the semi-finals.
"I prefer the Spanish model. It's very recognisable, the players are perfectly adapted," said De la Fuente. "The English model is very good, but you have to have that type of player. Neither England can play like Spain, nor Spain like England."
He suggested Spain had faced increasingly aggressive opposition as their recent success had raised expectations.
"It's our best moment in a long time," added De la Fuente, whose side also lifted the Euro 2024 title by beating England. "They are all much more aggressive to beat us now than in other times."
He also defended the value of Spanish players, arguing their performances often outweighed their transfer-market prices compared with those in the Premier League.
"Spanish footballers surprise me that, compared to what is paid in England, they are very cheap," he explained. "I see them as better, in my opinion. Everyone in their market can set the prices."
On the fitness of forward Lamine Yamal, he remained cautious over whether the Barcelona teenager would start or how long he could manage.
"We will see if he is a starter, but if he comes out, it's because he's fit to play," said De la Fuente.
Spain test will reveal if Tuchel and England have learned World Cup lessons
Tuchel to remind England of anti-racism protocols
