The reasons for Luis Enrique's change to De la Fuente as Spain coach

Spain's catastrophe at the World Cup in Qatar has resulted in the departure of the man in charge, the leader, the owner of the Spain bench. Luis Enrique is stepping down as coach amidst a deafening silence from the RFEF, which has decided to undertake all these changes without light or stenographers. 

Now that there is no interest in showing this false transparency, Las Rozas have issued two communiqués, one to thank Luis Enrique for his services between 2018 and 2022 and the other to welcome Luis de la Fuente, coach of the Under-21s who has to take the helm of Spain in a very turbulent 2023 for the Federation. 

Luis Rubiales and José Francisco Molina chose Luis Enrique in 2018 to give personality to the Spanish national team in a period of transition when many world champion players were beginning to leave football. 

The incendiary coach did not take long to confront the Spaniards in the purest style of Javier Clemente, his idol and the coach who visited him in red during his playing days. 

Scaffolding, intercoms, videos to announce call-ups, total detachment from the press, a haughty attitude in appearances... Luis Enrique was collecting enemies until he began to call up unknown players with little merit to wear the Spain shirt, which provoked fierce criticism. 

It soon became clear that his only intention was to have a totally domesticated squad, with profiles that would be eternally grateful for the opportunity. He did not make a mistake with Gavi, who was called up with hardly any first division minutes, but he insisted on players with no level such as Unai Simón because of his confrontations with other goalkeepers of greater quality and experience such as De Gea or, above all, Kepa. 

Luis Enrique took the opportunity to clear out guys he didn't want to argue with, such as Sergio Ramos, who he gave minutes to when he was injured so as not to face the Sevillian and who he took out completely when he was injured. 

Iago Aspas, Borja Iglesias and Canales are players with enough personality to demand more training and less Twitch from the coach, something the Asturian did not want in his call-ups.

The game in the semi-finals of the European Championship against Italy or the game against Germany in Qatar provoked a certain illusion, which was nothing more than wishful thinking. The players were doomed to a style that would end up killing them, as happened with Japan and Morocco. 

A coach nailed to a style, alma mater of players devoted to the cause who now returns to unemployment waiting to take over the controls of a club that allows him to alter its shirt and even its anthem, as has happened in the RFEF where he has been allowed to do everything. 

Luis Enrique, Rubiales and Molina treacherously stabbed Robert Moreno one fateful night at the Metropolitano. They lied until their mouths ran dry and they rinsed out a sacking and the return of "Lucho" as if they were a mafia. 

Now comes more of the same. They say that Luis de la Fuente is a magnificent trainer, a polite guy and closer to the press than Luis Enrique. Used to dealing with youngsters, he will continue to do the same at the helm of Spain in the Nation League final in June and the European Championship qualifiers. 

De la Fuente will not make any stridency in his call-ups. He will follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and will hopefully maintain the style better than Iñaki Sáez, the last interim in the top job. 

Rubiales has been left on his own. It is more than likely that names such as Marcelino, Roberto Martínez or Pochettino have not even picked up the phone lest someone overhears them talking to a guy nobody trusts anymore. 

The year 2023 will be complicated at the RFEF. The trials awaiting its president will be unsustainable because of a government that can say goodbye in the next general elections. If the Federation collapses, all those who have sustained this mediocre system will fall.