Luis de la Fuente: "Lamine is special. What for others would be extremely stressful situations is second nature for him."

As he was leaving, Luis de la Fuente saw a journalist complaining about not being able to ask a question, and he turned around the UEFA communications manager and the Federation's head of communications, both of whom looked surprised. The coach was very relaxed during the press conference he held this afternoon at the Allianz Arena, ahead of the Nations Cup final against Portugal this Sunday.

The first thing he did was thank Cristiano for the words of praise the Portuguese star had offered him that morning. "I appreciate your words, of course. But the words of admiration must be mine for him. He exemplifies all the values ​​that are important to me. Work, effort, perseverance, consistency..." he returned the compliments before, surprise!, turning his attention to Lamine Yamal .

"Lamine transmits a calmness, a tranquility... You'd be surprised to see him. What for others would be extremely stressful situations, he handles naturally. He resolves the inconveniences, the demands of these situations, with a maturity belittles his age," explained the coach, who doesn't seem likely to make any changes to the starting eleven compared to those that played against France, with the exception of Fabián coming on for Merino .

He echoed coach Mikel Oyarzabal 's sentiments. "Lamine surprises everyone; he has a self-confidence that's important. Up until now, he's experienced all the good things, and I think he'll surely experience some bad moments along the way. That will help him grow as a player and as a person. People don't realize what it means to be a European champion at 16 or 17," said the Real Sociedad forward.

He also emphasized the importance of a title like the Nations League, which, incidentally, his colleague on the Portugal bench, Roberto Martínez , said this morning was the toughest competition to win, even tougher than a World Cup or a European Championship. "And since Roberto said that, you're now giving it importance, right? Many professionals are thinking about it. Four of the five best teams in Europe are in this Final Four. There's nothing more to say," he stated.

Captain Morata deserved a special mention, having lost focus during this training camp. "He remains the same leader, regardless of the number of minutes he plays. He's a much-loved, much-respected, much-valued player... There will be times when he participates more, times when he participates less, but for us, he's fundamental."