LAS ROZAS (MADRID), Sep. 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The national coach Luis de la Fuente asked for “pardon” this Friday for his way of acting during the last RFEF Assembly and acknowledged that the criticism he has received “is totally deserved”, but that he should not “resign” because of them.
“Given the social, media and political repercussions of my applause in the Assembly, I want to explain the situation experienced. I have received criticism for it and do you know what I think? That they are fully deserved. I am sorry and I apologize for them,” said De The Source at a press conference.
The La Rioja coach considered the events experienced last Friday as “unjustifiable.” “I went to the Assembly, convinced, like the majority of us, of experiencing a formal farewell ceremony for the president, but it turned into a different situation for which I was not prepared,” he asserted.
“These gestures do not represent my values ??or my way of acting in life, I have always been on the side of equality and respect. In my 26 years in football, the last eleven in the RFEF, I have always behaved impeccably. We all remember what happened after the World Cup final, and neither Jenni (Hermoso) nor the rest of her teammates are responsible for what happened there,” the coach concluded.
“I believe that I do not have to resign, I have to apologize, I made a human error, which is inexcusable, but right now, if I could go back, I would not return to that act. I do not feel comfortable questioning values ??and principles that I have tremendously internalized and that they are not questionable and that generates concern and tension in me,” he explained, respecting the opinion of Yolanda Díaz, acting Minister of Labor and Social Economy.
“No, I have not felt betrayed by Luis Rubiales, but I came to the Assembly thinking that it was going to be a division and we went into ‘shock’ when we saw that it was not like that. I do not think it was a betrayal, but of course I thought that the Assembly was going to go the other way and we found something totally different and for me it was not easy to digest. It was a situation that surpassed me”, argued De la Fuente.
He did not want to justify “nothing” because what he did was “unjustifiable.” “I don’t want to talk about the rest of the people, but I lived it overwhelmed, I didn’t know how to live up to it and I couldn’t control those emotions and in that context. When one later reflects and looks at the cameras, I don’t recognize myself and It really is when you do that analysis from that other perspective”, commented the coach.
The one from Haro remarked that he is not a “judge” when asked about the possible sanction for Luis Rubiales. “Let’s let the pertinent organizations decide and when they make a decision it will be time to assess, I am not here to judge anyone,” he settled on the matter.
De la Fuente appealed to a “situation of pressure” and in which he felt “uncomfortable” to defend himself against his behavior last Friday and his “delay” in issuing his statement. “It had not happened to me, I had never been in a situation of that emotional stress. I do not have the literary resources that you (journalists) have, I am a coach and I need time to reflect, see things in perspective and meet with my teammates technician,” he explained.
The one from Haro remarked that his statement came out on Saturday and not immediately “due to the times”, and that it had nothing to do with the suspension issued by FIFA on Luis Rubiales. “There was an hour of separation and it is impossible for me to prepare that type of statement in an hour. We began to see reality and listen, and from that perspective we began to develop it until we were able to produce a text that reflected everything I felt,” pointed out.
De la Fuente demanded to “understand the context and the situation” and insisted that he was “overwhelmed.” “Of course I am concerned about my position, but I am used to being questioned or dismissed for many reasons, but the clear one is the results. I apologize a thousand times, it was a human error in a situation of maximum tension and maximum pressure. I did not I’m going to lash out, I tell my truth,” he stressed. “This is my space, it is where I feel comfortable and it is where I should explain myself. My forgiveness is sincere,” he added.
The coach made it clear that he will “always” be “on the side of equality and respect”, and that he also has the “right” to make mistakes as well as to “rectify”. “If I had the possibility to turn back time, I guarantee that I would not act in the same way,” he said, warning that he would not have been “not one more second” in his position if he did not have “the support and confidence” of the Territorials.
The coach has not had “the opportunity to speak” with Jenni Hermoso about what happened and he blamed it, “certainly”, on the fact that he “lacked the courage” to do so and that his support for the forward was “implicitly marked and pointed out” in his first statement.
EXPECTS THE SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONALS AND GRANADA
“She is experiencing a difficult moment, she is not responsible for anything,” he declared, pointing out that the warning from many internationals not to go with the team if there are no changes “is a particular issue for them.” “The RFEF is a very clear example in terms of equality and rights and where they work with special interest in women’s football,” she clarified.
He also indicated “absolutely” that no Absolute player had communicated his discomfort over this matter and that any international “has the doors open” to tell him “whatever”. “They know me and know how I act and my values,” he said, noting that he has “great esteem” for Borja Iglesias, who renounced returning to the Absolute if there were no changes. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to come if we call him, but I wouldn’t want anyone here who wasn’t happy,” he stressed.
Finally, he confirmed that he will start training on Monday despite the fact that minutes before he had said that they had to “think about it” and he was confident that there will be a good atmosphere in Granada for the game against Cyprus. “I know what the Granada fans are like and how the team lives and feels. We are playing very important things and I am sure we have unconditional support, I have no doubts about it,” he concluded.
