De la Fuente Praises 'Invaluable' Cucurella as Spain Shut Out Austria Again

'We can still improve' De la Fuente warns
 

Mikel Oyarzabal’s brace and Pedro Porro’s goal fired Spain past Austria into the last 16. Coach De la Fuente said the team’s progress is built on process, not one performance...

'Satisfaction can kill' says De la Fuente urges more from Spain despite 3-0 Austria rout...

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente played down his team’s emphatic 3-0 win over Austria that booked their spot in the World Cup round of 16 on Thursday. He said there’s still a lot to work on and cautioned that “satisfaction can kill.” 

Spain remain the only team at the tournament without conceding a goal. They put on a dominant showing with two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and one from Pedro Porro, reinforcing why they’re considered among the title contenders.

“I have many reasons to be happy ‌today. First, because of the victory, we ⁠won significantly, and ‌the image of the team was fabulous,” De la Fuente told reporters. “But there is still room for improvement. Perhaps you think you have seen the best of us, but this team has not yet reached its capabilities. There is more to do.”

De la Fuente said Spain’s strong run wasn’t down to one big game, but the result of a long-term project. He also stressed that the knockout stage will require an even higher level.

“Today's performance should be the foundation for ‌what comes next,” he said. “We are going to keep improving and doing things better... We are not yet satisfied - we are going for more.”

De la Fuente warned against thinking Spain were at their best yet, after another solid defensive showing that saw Austria fail to get a single shot on target.

“There were situations where we lacked high pressure. You need to keep improving ‌all the time,” he said. “When you get flattered and believe it, you become weaker. Satisfaction can kill ‌you.”

The 65-year-old coach was effusive about left-back Marc Cucurella, who set up Oyarzabal twice. De la Fuente called him “invaluable” and “a top-quality player.”

“The next phase will be increasingly demanding,” De la Fuente added. “We have ⁠wonderful players, but ⁠the only focus is ‌to exceed our own expectations.”