‘Satisfaction can kill’, says Spain coach De la Fuente after Austria rout
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 32 – Spain v Austria – Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California, U.S. – July 2, 2026 Spain coach Luis De La Fuente celebrates after the match as Spain qualify for the Round of 16 stage of the World Cup REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
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INGLEWOOD, California July 2 : Spain coach Luis de la Fuente refused to get carried away after his side’s commanding 3-0 victory over Austria sent them into the World Cup last 16 on Thursday, insisting there was still plenty of room for improvement and warning that “satisfaction can kill”.
Spain, who have yet to concede a goal at the tournament, produced a dominant display as Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice and Pedro Porro once to underline their status as one of the favourites.
“I have many reasons to be happy today. First because of the victory, we won significantly and the image of the team was fabulous,” De la Fuente told reporters. “But there is still room for improvement. Perhaps you think you have seen the best of us, but this team has not yet reached its capabilities. There is more to do.”
De la Fuente said Spain’s progress had been built on a long-term process rather than one standout performance and stressed that the knockout rounds would demand even higher standards.
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“Today’s performance should be the foundation for what comes next,” he said. “We are going to keep improving and doing things better … We are not yet satisfied, we are going for more.”
De la Fuente cautioned against believing Spain had reached their peak after another impressive defensive display in which Austria failed to register a shot on target.
“There were situations where we lacked high pressure. You need to keep improving all the time,” he said. “When you get flattered and believe it, you become weaker. Satisfaction can kill you.”
The 65-year-old was full of praise for his left back Marc Cucurella, who provided two assists for Oyarzabal, calling him “invaluable” and “a top-notch player”.
“The next phase will be increasingly demanding,” De la Fuente added. “We have wonderful players, but the only focus is to exceed our own expectations.”
Source: Reuters
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