Coach De la Fuente lauds Spain's 'spirit of sacrifice'

MUNICH, Germany : Spain coach Luis de la Fuente hailed his team's quality and cohesion in coming from a goal down to beat France and reach the Euro 2024 final on Tuesday, a feat he took no credit for and said was all about his players' insatiable hunger for success.

De la Fuente said his team had versatility and outstanding individual qualities, which when put together created a special brand of football that would be on show in Sunday's final, regardless of whether the opponent is England or Netherlands.

"Our idea of football is based on our self-assurance. This is what we want to play, we want to play to our strengths. I know that we are able to play football, we've seen it throughout the tournament," he told reporters.

"Individually they are fantastic but they offer the collective benefits of their individual qualities ... they always work for the common good, for the collective effort.

"They are very generous in their efforts and work rate. This is just one more sign that this is an insatiable team, that they want to keep improving with the spirit of sacrifice."

Spain went behind to an early goal from France's Randal Kolo Muani before teenager Lamine Yamal levelled with a brilliant strike in the 21st minute, then Dani Olmo added a second just a few minutes after in a spectacular first half.

De la Fuente hit back at critics who had previously questioned some of his decisions and team selections, reminding them that he knew his players best after a long history with many of them.

"I want you to know that this may surprise you more than it surprises us, because we knew the possibilities we had ... I know these footballers and I make my decisions based on how much I know them," he said.

"It's not out of a whim. You've been