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Rabat – Spain’s Royal Football Federation (RFEF) today announced the departure of Luis Enrique from his position as the Spanish national football team’s head coach following elimination from the World Cup.
Morocco on Tuesday defeated Spain 3-0 on penalties following a goalless draw, securing a ticket to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in its history.
The RFEF wasted no time in finding a replacement for Enrique, choosing Luis de la Fuente to replace the former Barcelona manager as Spain’s new head coach.
The federation expressed their thanks and gratitude to Enrique for his revival-themed leadership of the Spanish national team over the past four years.
“The Asturian coach managed to give a new impetus to the national team since his arrival,” indicated RFEF’s statement, adding that Enrique has earned the “love and admiration” of both fans of the national team and the federation.
Enrique led the Spanish squad to the semi-finals of EURO 2020, and to the 2020-21 Nations League Final, added the statement.
The new head coach Fuente, who currently manages Spain’s national under-21 football team, is set to make his debut with Spain’s senior team in March in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Read also: Azzedine Ounahi, Morocco’s Unsung World Cup Hero
RFEF noted that Fuente will be officially presented as Spain’s new coach on Monday once his appointment is approved by the federation’s board of directors.
The federation’s sports director Jose Francisco Molina has sent a report to RFEF’s President Luis Rubiales, recommending Fuente as the best candidate for the role.
Spanish sports news outlet As reported that the federation has not been satisfied with Enrique’s decisions as a coach, notably during Spain’s presence at the ongoing World Cup.
The news comes to confirm that while Moroccans continue to rejoice at their national team’s outstanding performances in Qatar, the effects of the Atlas Lions’ World Cup heroics have been starkly bleak for those on the receiving end.
Earlier this month, Belgium’s head coach Roberto Martinez stepped down from his role following his squad’s elimination from the World Cup’s group stage after losing 2-0 against Morocco.
