SerpApi.Org
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente warned his players they must honor their promise after their World Cup glory.
Before Spain's World Cup final match against Argentina, star Marc Cucurella told reporters that should his side prevail over Lionel Messi and the reigning champions, he and his teammates would get tattoos of de la Fuente's face somewhere on their bodies. After Spain's 1-0 win at New York/New Jersey Stadium, the time has come for them to make good on their promise.
De la Fuente's comments come after Donald Trump was booed heavily by the crowd in the stands as he attempted to make the World Cup celebration about himself. They also come after Argentina committed one final unsportsmanlike act during Spain's medal ceremony.
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Toward the end of his press conference, Spain's head coach was asked about Marc Cucurella's comment regarding getting a tattoo of de la Fuente's face if the team won the World Cup. At the time of the declaration, Cucurella stated that he did not have a place to get his coach's face tattooed on.
In response, the 65-year-old took the question in stride and explained where he stood on the matter. "I am no longer in the age of getting tattoos," he began to reporters after the win. "However, they made a mistake.
"They are serious people, and they will do it. I told them, 'Did you make a mistake?' They made a mistake, but they will enjoy it. I am not as ugly as to be tattooed in a place where it is not visible. I am proud that they keep their word. If you say something, you have to keep it. I am happy about that."
For his part, Cucurella told reporters he was still willing to get de la Fuente's face tattooed on his body, though he said he would need time to choose a suitable location. "People will ask me, so it doesn't have to be a visible place. I think we have a long trip ahead of us. I hope you give me ideas, I'll think about it, and I'll have to do it," Cucurella joked after the win.
Considering how the players are willing to get his face tattooed onto their bodies, it is clear just how much de la Fuente meant to each of them.
Star goalkeeper Unai Simon explained how the coach managed to get all the players on the same page toward a common goal for almost two months, especially since each is the best at their respective positions.
"When you participate in a competition like this, in which you aspire to be focused for 51 days, I think it is very important to keep the group, to keep that feeling among everyone, that respect among those who have more minutes and less minutes," Simon said in Spanish.
"In that, I think the coach is out of the ordinary. I think the coach has managed very well all the emotions of all the players.
"I think that in the end, tactically, you have to give four premises to assimilate the games, but for 51 days you have to be a group manager. And in that I think the coach has been our leader and our example at all times."
For his part, de la Fuente said it was an "honor" to have coached the Spanish stars throughout the tournament, now that they have won the biggest prize in world football.
"It is an honor to work with a group of wonderful technical staff," he told reporters. "It is an honor to have people in the expedition who make the job much easier. It is an honor. And that's how things are done, and they are much easier."
It comes after FOX reporter Jenny Taft was slammed for her behavior in an interview with Trump before the World Cup final.
