Spanish bishops celebrated the success of the country’s soccer team on 14 July, when the players won a record fourth European Championship title, handing England an agonising defeat.
The bishops also praised the coach, Luis de la Fuente, for his testimony as a practising Catholic who has not shied away from his faith throughout the tournament.
The Spanish national soccer team beat England 2–1 in the final of the tournament in Berlin. It was a historic Sunday for Spain, with Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz also winning the Wimbledon Championships just hours later.
After the final whistle of the soccer final, jubilation spread throughout Spain, and the bishops clearly wanted to participate in the fiesta.
Archbishop José Ángel Saiz Meneses of Seville posted a message immediately after the match. ‘Congratulations! Thank you champions! Congratulations to everyone,’ he said on X, formerly Twitter, on 14 July.
The archbishop described the Spanish team’s coach as ‘a deeply religious man’ who is not shy about ‘publicly expressing his faith,’ noting de la Fuente’s special devotion to Holy Christ of the Expiration, located in the 17th-century minor basilica in Seville of the same name. Archbishop Saiz’s post included a picture of de la Fuente praying in front of the famous crucifix.
‘He has been able to transmit faith, humility, the value of the team above individualities, the spirit of sacrifice, effort, confidence ... THANK YOU!’ he said.
Bishop José Ignacio Munilla Aguirre of Orihuela-Alicante also posted on X, congratulating the team and especially highlighting ‘the testimony of faith of the coach’.
Bishop Munilla compared de la Fuente’s faith to that of Argentinian soccer star Lionel Messi, who acknowledged in an interview that his skill on the field is a gift from God and that he has only had put this gift to use.
‘Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father,’ Bishop Munilla said on X, quoting the Gospel of Matthew.
In an interview with Spanish Catholic radio COPE on 8 July, De la Fuente was asked whether he has any rituals before matches: ‘No. I make the sign of the cross before matches, but that is faith. I have faith,’ he said, although he added, ‘It is true that I really like the number 13. But I am not superstitious. There are days when I fall asleep even on the bus on the way to the stadium. I have no habits, no rituals.’
Spain’s beloved coach is a husband and father of three. He became famous as a soccer player before becoming a coach, and his son has followed in his footsteps, also becoming a soccer player.
‘During my life I have had many doubts and I have been far from religion, but at one point in my life, I decided to get closer to and rely on God for everything I do,’ de la Fuente recently said in an interview with El Mundo.
Spain’s sports stars can be models for young people, Bishop Juan Carlos Elizalde Espinal of Vitoria said. Congratulating Wimbledon champion Alcaraz and the national soccer team, he said, ‘May many young people follow your example of leisure time linked to sport, teamwork, healthy competition, and effort and overcoming to be better every day. You have given us an unforgettable afternoon!’
Banner image: Spain’s Lamine Yamal, left, the youngest soccer player and scorer in the history of European Championships, celebrates his team’s win over England in the final with Spanish soccer national team coach Luis de la Fuente. Lamine turned 17 ahead of winning the Euro 2024. (Photo: OSV News/Lee Smith, Reuters.)
