Spain’s Coach Dismisses Racism Concerns Ahead of Key Nations League Match
Luis de la Fuente has addressed concerns surrounding racism in Spanish football ahead of the national team’s UEFA Nations League clash with England in Madrid this Sunday.
England’s coach, Thomas Tuchel, previously announced he would remind his players of UEFA’s anti-racism protocol before the highly anticipated match, which will decide the group leader in League A Group 3.
Despite acknowledging the past, Tuchel emphasized he did not expect any incidents during the game. This match marks England’s first visit to the Spanish capital since the infamous 2004 match at the Bernabeu, which was marred by racist chanting towards English players.
When questioned about Tuchel’s remarks indicating ongoing issues with racism in Spain, De la Fuente firmly 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 faced penalties last month, including a fine and partial stadium closure, after supporters directed Islamophobic and xenophobic chants during a match against Egypt in Barcelona.
In domestic football, Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr. has been a prominent anti-racism advocate, having experienced repeated incidents of racist abuse. In 2024, three Valencia fans received eight-month prison sentences for their verbal abuse against him during a match.
UEFA’s three-step protocol allows officials to halt games, temporarily suspend play, or abandon matches altogether if discriminatory behavior persists.
Tuchel stated 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, at a pre-match news conference on Saturday, Tuchel reiterated, “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 that is clearly in favor of the Spanish team, and that football does what it does best: brings people together and not divide people.”
Midfielder Declan Rice added, “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’
Shifting focus to the upcoming match, De la Fuente expressed that both teams have reached the peak of world football, although he rejected the notion that one could easily adopt the other’s style of play.
Spain emerged as World Cup winners in the summer, while England secured third place after falling to Argentina in the semi-finals.
“I prefer the Spanish model. It’s very recognizable, the players are perfectly adapted,” De la Fuente stated. “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 noted that Spain has faced increasingly aggressive opposition, as their success has raised the stakes for rivals. “It’s our best moment in a long time,” added De la Fuente, who also led Spain to victory in the Euro 2024 final against England. “They are all much more aggressive to beat us now than in other times.”
Defending the market value of Spanish players, he remarked that their performances often exceed their transfer prices compared to those in the Premier League. “Spanish footballers surprise me; compared to what is paid in England, they are very cheap. I see them as better, in my opinion. Everyone in their market can set the prices.”
Regarding the fitness of forward Lamine Yamal, he remained cautious about whether the Barcelona teenager would start or how long he could play. “We will see if he is a starter, but if he comes out, it’s because he’s fit to play,” informed De la Fuente.
