Luis de la Fuente Defends Rodri Amid Criticism

Luis de la Fuente did not bother to hide his irritation.

Barely days into Spain’s World Cup campaign, with a flat 0-0 draw against Cape Verde still hanging in the air, the national coach was already being asked whether his most trusted midfielder was damaging the team’s style of play. The suggestion: Rodri, the metronome of Manchester City and the heartbeat of this Spain side, was slowing everything down.

De la Fuente’s response was immediate – and fierce.

“Highly insulting” to question Rodri

Speaking to El Partidazo de Cope, the Spain coach dismantled the criticism aimed at his midfielder and openly questioned how anyone could reach such a conclusion after one frustrating night.

“Good heavens, please. For you to say things like this,” he snapped, clearly stung by the narrative gathering pace around his player. “Some people can say one thing or another, but in any case, I find it highly insulting to say that about the best player in the world.”

There was no attempt to soften the message. No caveats. No polite distancing from his own words.

For De la Fuente, Rodri is not just important. He is the reference point.

“Rodrigo is the best player in the world, and even at 50% he's much better than most midfielders in the world. Even at 50%,” he insisted. “And with us, he's a player of exceptional importance, with fantastic clarity and vision, balance. Rodrigo is a guiding light for us.”

The draw with Cape Verde had opened the door to the familiar inquest that follows any Spain performance that lacks incision: too slow, too predictable, too many passes in front of the opposition. This time, though, the criticism landed squarely on Rodri’s shoulders, with some arguing that his presence at the base of midfield delays transitions and blunts Spain’s attacking edge.

De la Fuente simply is not buying it.

A wider grievance: Spanish stars judged differently

Once he had defended his midfielder’s influence on the pitch, the coach widened the debate. This, he suggested, was not just about Rodri. It was about how Spanish players, even those considered world-class, are treated in the public arena.

He drew an unspoken comparison with other global stars who rarely face the same intensity of scrutiny at the first sign of trouble.

“Would they dare say that about other players who are also considered among the best in the world? Would they dare?” he asked. “I don't think so. But since they're Spanish, and you can say things about our players that you don't say about others.”

There lies the tension at the heart of Spain’s modern era: a nation that produces some of the game’s finest technicians, yet often turns on them quicker than anyone else when results stutter.

Rodri, for De la Fuente, embodies the opposite of what his critics claim. Control, structure, clarity. The man who gives shape to everything around him. One game without a goal has not changed that in the coach’s mind.

Spain now head deeper into this World Cup with questions swirling around their attack and their rhythm. What is not in doubt, at least for the man in charge, is who leads them through the storm.