Semis of the European Championship, finalist of the Nations, qualified for the World Cup and leader of his group in the Nations
He took office almost two years ago with the aim of recovering the level and competitiveness of the national team: Spain is once again a contender
Luis Enrique took over as coach immediately after the 2018 World Cup, when the consequences of the abrupt departure of Julen Lopetegui were still being experienced.
From the first day he had to face criticism -which on many occasions had more to do with his peculiar relationship with the press than with purely football reasons- but nevertheless, he has been conquering all the objectives that had been set for him by the RFEF.
The first was for Spain to return to being a competitive and leading team: it had not been in the 2014 World Cup or Euro 2016. Nor in Russia 2018, with Hierro as the improvised coach. His first mission was to recover the spirits and the game of a selection in decline.
Almost four years have passed since then and Spain is once again among the best: if not a candidate, at least an applicant, as Luis Enrique usually emphasizes.
Reasons are not lacking, because seen in perspective, the recent trajectory of the selection makes it one of the most interesting teams of the moment.
Among the four best in Europe
against prognosis, Luis Enrique placed Spain among the best in Europe: The team was a semi-finalist in the European Championship and was one step away from playing in the final. Just three months later, Spain got into the final of the Nations League, which they lost to France in a very questionable move.
The next challenge was to qualify Spain for the World Cup: The group was theoretically manageable, but a defeat in Sweden complicated things and the Swedes had to be beaten on the decisive day. Spain won and Luis Enrique was able to hang himself another medal: Spain would be in the World Cup, despite the fact that many already considered it condemned to the playoffs.
Going for the second final four of the Nations
Back to the Nations, Spain closes the season as leader of its groupshared with a team as powerful as the Portuguese, and with many options to qualify for the final four of the tournament. It would be the first selection to repeat presence in the final. England, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland played the first; Spain, Italy, France and Belgium were the protagonists of the second.
Spain must seal its status as group leader in September: then the World Cup will appear, the great thermometer to measure the Spain of Luis Enrique, a coach who has so far achieved what he has proposed.