The Unlikely Architect of Spain's Golden Generation Luis de la Fuente, the man behind Spain's remarkable success in recent years, was a relative unknown outside of Spanish soccer circles when he became national coach in 2022.
His background seemed to lack the credentials typically associated with such a position, having only managed Bilbao Athletic, the reserve side of Athletic Bilbao, in the Spanish third tier.
However, De la Fuente has since delivered an unprecedented run of success for Spain. The country won the 2023 UEFA Nations League title and had a dominant performance in the 2024 European Championship.