Spain coach Luis de la Fuente was a surprise appointment and an early humiliating defeat by Scotland in March put his fledgling project on the ropes no sooner than it had begun. The Luis Rubiales forced kiss scandal further shook Spanish football and De la Fuente was criticised for his response to it, but he survived the wave of sackings across the Spanish football federation in September. On the pitch in the interim period, the 62-year-old's La Roja have been steadily improving and when they face Scotland in Seville on Thursday in Euro 2024 qualifying, they have a chance to prove it.