• Crónica Joselu, a striker of the past, arranges the debut of De la Fuente with Spain against Norway

When Silloth's volley was lost over Kepa's crossbar, Luis de la Fuente looked at Joselu, who kissed his shin guards and, at 33, was the first player to whom he gives an internationality that he will not forget. The center to the second stick of Fabián also wanted to push the coach but, this time, Joselu did not miss his stubbornness. His voracity was demonstrated by collecting a rejection of the Norwegian goal to Oyarzabal to score the second goal in four minutes he had been on the field. "I thank the coach for everything and I think I have responded with more than enough. It shows that age does not matter, because I feel like an 18-year-old kid, "admitted the Galician striker.

Those two goals, together with that of Dani Olmo, made the coach debut with a wide deceptive victory, because there were some minutes of suffering. "It's not bad to suffer, it's something inherent in the game. We knew that Norway is a very physical opponent, well worked and strong in the duels. We have gone from less to more and I expected the team to mature the game and react, "confessed the Riojan, who has only had a few days to work.

"Even so, it has been seen that they have assimilated concepts and that has a lot of merit in four days. In addition, the attitude I have seen, the desire to win, make me very optimistic. I'm happy for the players, that if they already had me won, now more, "he said in the bowels of La Rosaleda.

What he did not want to take credit for is having quoted Joselu. "Getting to know the players and giving them confidence is our job, but all the credit is theirs. We have recognised the great work he does every day at his club and I am happy for him and for everyone else." In controversies will not fall this selector, who sins of prudent.

Luis de la Fuente showed no nerves in his debut until the ball rolled, but then he couldn't contain them during the game. Before he smiled on the lawn in lively chat with his assistants after announcing his eleven in which he redeemed two outlaws such as Nacho and Iago Aspas. He even thanked the shouts of encouragement of a fan who soon populated La Rosaleda and who already recognize him as national coach.

The Riojan has had months to digest his role in the dressing room, but he had not seen himself on a bench. Crossing the tunnel, listening to the anthem hugging his assistants with the impeccable official suit and tie – yes that never wore Luis Enrique – in blue tones with reddish stripes. Raised in the back room of a dressmaker's haberdashery, De la Fuente could not be anything other than an elegant man.

Goal in the 13th minute, like Luis Enrique

Beeping and changing countenance. Nerves surfaced. As usual. As in every U-19, U-21 championship or at the Tokyo Games. Standing in the corner of the technical area he gave some instructions without fuss to try to get his idea of football to tear down the wall that the Norwegians had proposed to raise. It took Morata 13 minutes to look for Balde on the wing to put a center that Dani Olmo, with an impossible touch, scored the first goal of the De la Fuente era. Clenched fists for a rabid but restrained celebration, hug with all his assistants and return to concentration.

Of the thousand differences that the current coach has with his predecessor, one will not be the minute in which the first goal of his stage arrived. For Luis Enrique it was also in the 13th, at Wembley against England, in September 2018 and Saul marked it.

It seemed that Spain would unstitch the rival with the passing of the minutes, but it was not like that. He began to suffer and became protagonists players to whom De la Fuente has returned the internationality. A stop by Kepa saved the tie, 899 days after the last time he put the national sticks down. Something weighed on his responsibility, although he knew how to sustain himself.

Nacho had another masterful intervention in a return that has waited 1,622 days, almost a year more than Iago Aspas, who during the first half was not comfortable away from the sidelines, without spaces or the mobility he enjoys at Celta. He found it in the second half and had his chance to head a center that De la Fuente accompanied with the turn of neck from the bench before lamenting the missed opportunity. It would be the last of the Galician.

Ceballos, Pino and Joselu

It was time to get hold of two fetish players: Dani Ceballos and Mikel Oyarzabal. The Basque not only has faith in the field, but in his ability to lead outside and has made him the fourth captain.

The picture was not clarified and he sought the impudence of Yeremi Pino. Del Canario was another occasion that, again, the coach accompanied with a shot movement from the technical area. Laments and applause for the intention of the team, who was uncomfortable. From that state of nervousness Joselu Mato took him, his revulsive for the front after sending Borja Iglesias to the stands. With the goals of the Espanyol striker, De la Fuente, finally, loosened his tie and smiled again.

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