Spain coach Luis de la Fuente wins the men’s Coach of the Year award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Monday, following his team’s World Cup triumph.
The 65-year-old receives the honour after guiding Spain to victory over Argentina in the final, capping a successful run that also includes the Nations League and European Championship titles.
“Teamwork makes us invincible. This is a great honour,” de la Fuente says after collecting the award.
He credits his players for the achievement, highlighting their commitment to the team and the depth of talent available to him.
“The secret is to work with very generous players that put the team first,” he says.
“We’ve got such an amazing pool of talent, the best in the world, so as a coach I have such a great amount of talent to work with. So this is their success,” he adds.
De la Fuente’s journey to the top of international football differs from that of many modern coaches who previously starred as players.
After an unremarkable spell in club management, he joins the Spanish Football Federation’s youth coaching setup after spotting an advertisement for a youth team coach.
He begins with Spain’s Under-19 side, gradually rising through the national coaching ranks. Thirteen years later, several players from that generation feature in the teams he guides to major honours.
Spain’s World Cup campaign initially faces questions after a goalless draw against tournament debutants Cape Verde in their opening match in the United States.
However, the team grows stronger as the competition progresses, defeating pre-tournament favourites France 2-0 in the semi-finals.
In a closely contested final against Lionel Messi’s Argentina in New Jersey, Spain withstands physical pressure before Ferran Torres scores the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory.
De la Fuente describes the award as recognition of years of work and praises Spain’s football development system.
“This is recognition for a job very well done over many years,” he says.
“I believe Spanish football, both in terms of coaching and the game itself, serves as an example of excellent youth development, which ultimately paves the way for future success.”
Meanwhile, Barcelona coach Pere Romeu wins the women’s Coach of the Year award after leading the club to four major trophies: the Spanish league, Spanish Cup, Spanish Super Cup and Champions League.
