Don't compare us to 2008 team, says Spain coach De La Fuente

DUESSELDORF, Spain - Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has warned against comparing his team to the all-conquering previous editions and says there is huge room for improvement at Euro 2024.

Wins against former World Cup finalists Croatia and defending champions Italy have prompted many to install Spain as favourites to win the trophy for a fourth time.

They have already qualified for the last 16 ahead of Monday's clash with Albania in Duesseldorf when they could emulate Luis Aragones' side by winning all three group games.

The 2008 side featuring the likes of Xavi Hernandez, David Silva, Andres Iniesta, Fernando Torres and Sergio Ramos went on to win the trophy by beating Germany in the final and Spain's golden generation also won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.

"We have a long way to go to catch up with that national team that you mentioned because they won the Euros," De La Fuente told reporters on Sunday.

"We need to improve in every area. That may seem negative but we have to keep improving. That's our goal from day to day. The good news is there's huge room for improvement, possibly infinite or maybe there's a limit.

"That's what makes us feel very optimistic."

De la Fuente promised there would be no slackening off against an Albania still in the hunt for a last-16 spot and was coy about whether he would be giving game time to some of his squad players, although Rodri's suspension means he will be making at least one change on Sunday.

"We're only focusing on winning because we want to win every match," he said. "We want to send out what we feel is the best side. We have complete confidence in our 26 players here.

"Everyone has a chance to play here at a high level, so I'm very calm about that."

While Spain, Germany and Portugal have impressed and Belgium appear to have clicked into gear on Saturday with their win over Romania, not all the favourites have come to life, notably England who have been criticised for two poor performances.

De La Fuente said he expects all the big hitters to be at full throttle once the business end of the tournaments begins.

"I don't think we've seen the real quality of certain teams yet," he said. "Some of them have reached a strong competitive level straight away while others that some may call favourites or contenders, they haven't yet got going fully.

"When you head into the knockout phase, there's no room for error. So I think that once the last 16 begins, I think we'll see the real potential of every team."

Asked about the impact of 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, De La Fuente said he was being well looked after.

"He's the type of footballer who can surprise you every day. He's improving at an unnatural rate," De La Fuente said. "He's a special player, he's a great person, he's humble and he understands that he's part of a learning process.

"We want to give him confidence. We will be there for him. He has our unconditional support." REUTERS