Javier Clemente, a former La Roja head coach, said that Spain’s choice to fire Luis Enrique after their World Cup departure was “yet another mistake.”
Two days after Morocco eliminated the 2010 world champions on penalties in the round of 16, the former Barcelona manager’s resignation was officially announced on Thursday.
After the finals, Luis Enrique’s contract was about to expire, and the Royal Football Federation (RFEF) decided not to renew it. Instead, they named existing Under-21 manager Luis de la Fuente as the new manager.
Former Spain manager Clemente believes Luis Enrique shouldn’t be held accountable for his team’s second straight last-16 defeat after losing to host nation Russia at the same level four years prior. Clemente coached Spain at the World Cup in 1994 and 1998.
“I think it is not a success to have dispensed with Luis Enrique as coach,” he told El Programa de Ortega. “This is yet another mistake.
“Luis Enrique is a very good coach, with his ideas, with his personality, friendly, pleasant, man of the house. The problem of the Spanish team is a problem of Spanish football.
“[Morocco] stood up and closed well behind, and the players did not have the temperament to overcome it.
“You always talk about the coaches, but when you play badly, you also have to talk about the players. Is Luis Enrique to blame [for the penalties]? Not really.
The RFEF is expected to officially announce De La Fuente as Luis Enrique’s successor on Monday.
The 61-year-old has spent close to a decade coaching Spain’s age-grade sides, winning the Under-19 European Championship in 2015 and the Under-21 equivalent in 2021.
He also took charge of the Under-23 side at the Beijing Olympics last year and won a silver medal following defeat to Brazil in the final.
“You don’t imagine he’ll end up as a coach,” said Clemente, who coached De La Fuente at Athletic Bilbao during the early stages of his playing career.
“I think it’s good, he’s been in the Under-21s, and he’s had good results. He’s done well, he already knows the kids. I don’t know how he coaches, but I tell you he’s very good because he’s a friend of mine.”