De la Fuente defends Spain after World Cup final chaos

Spain's national team coach, Luis de la Fuente, broke his silence this Monday on the scuffle that overshadowed the closing moments of the World Cup final against Argentina, making clear that his squad ended up on the losing end of the whole episode. The coach from La Rioja tackled the controversy head-on and publicly stood by his players after FIFA's sanctions against several of those involved became known.

• De la Fuente described the Spanish players as 'victims' of the incidents that followed the final.
• FIFA handed Leandro Paredes a ten-match ban and Nahuel Molina a seven-match ban, among other penalties for Argentina.
• Gavi was also sanctioned with a one-match suspension by the disciplinary body.
• The coach revealed he received private apologies from Lionel Scaloni and some Argentine players.
• De la Fuente also discussed a tribute at San Mames that was marred by jeers from parts of the crowd.

What De la Fuente said about the final's brawl

Speaking in an interview with Spanish public radio, the coach was blunt in his assessment of what unfolded right after the final whistle of football's biggest showpiece. He argued that such episodes must never happen again, since they tarnish the sport's image and send the wrong message to millions of viewers watching around the globe.

You simply cannot allow that image to be broadcast to more than two billion people. But the most important thing is that our players were the victims, none of them had anything to do with any of those confrontations.

The coach stressed that none of his players sparked the confrontations, yet they still ended up paying the price for a situation that spiraled completely out of control. For De la Fuente, drawing a clear line between those who caused the conflict and those who suffered from it is essential to understanding the full picture.

FIFA's sanctions following the World Cup final

Last Friday, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee announced the penalties for those involved in the post-final unrest. On the Argentine side, Leandro Paredes received the harshest punishment with a ten-match ban, followed by Nahuel Molina with seven. Then-assistant coach Roberto Ayala was hit with a three-match suspension, while Thiago Almada received one. On the Spanish side, Gavi was also sanctioned with a single match, the only penalty imposed on a Spain player.

These sanctions bring, at least from a disciplinary standpoint, closure to one of the most talked-about episodes of the last World Cup, a tournament remembered both for the quality on display and for the tension that erupted off the pitch in the minutes after Argentina's title celebration.

Scaloni's apology and a call to prevent repeat incidents

De la Fuente used the interview to reveal that he had received gestures of apology from Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, as well as from some of his players. The Spanish coach welcomed these overtures but emphasized that the real priority going forward is ensuring such situations never happen again, given football's responsibility to educate young generations, something that cannot be treated as secondary.

The San Mames tribute and jeers directed at De la Fuente

Days before these comments, Athletic Club paid tribute to De la Fuente alongside Unai Simon, Aymeric Laporte and Nico Williams at San Mames, ahead of a league match against Sevilla, honoring their achievement as world champions. However, the ceremony was overshadowed by jeers from parts of the stands, something the coach admitted hurt him given his historic ties to the club.

The coach recalled spending 18 years at the Basque club as a player and highlighted the achievement of footballers trained at Lezama, Athletic's historic academy, reaching the pinnacle of world football. For De la Fuente, such accomplishments should unite fans rather than divide them, and he called for mutual respect as the foundation for healthy coexistence both inside and outside stadiums.