Spain
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente’s fascination with Marcus Aurelius and the book shaping his thinking
Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations” offered a guide to mental discipline through metaphor and philosophy, long before modern ideas of mental coaching existed.
Between Spain and Belgium, the only real difference was the quality of the substitutes (and that is not good news for La Roja)
Not only Merino, who decided the game himself: De la Fuente’s substitutes maintained Spain’s level, unlike Garcia’s.
Spain’s game is so codified that it can strike at any moment, even when its talents are not at their best
De la Fuente’s La Roja reached the quarter-finals despite Portugal’s resistance, with a goal that reflected its own identity.
Palestinian football fans have a team to support at the World Cup: Spain, a purely political choice
Pedro Sánchez’s government’s stance has reinforced support already present, now far stronger.
Credit to Cape Verde, but Spain cannot do without Lamine Yamal
The countdown to the Barcelona prodigy’s return is underway, but matches like this suggest La Roja can no longer wait for him.
Spain’s internal shirt-number rule leaves Lamine Yamal without the 10
Seniority and caps accumulated, Yamal remains a few years behind Dani Olmo and his teammates.
When Mikel Oyarzabal plays for Spain, he becomes one of the most effective players in international football.
At Real Sociedad he is a symbol and a reliable forward. With Spain, however, he is like a superhero’s cape.