Spain's Football Coach Visits Wildfire Victims: 'An Obligation and Pride to Be Here'

Spain's national football coach, Luis de la Fuente, visited evacuees affected by devastating wildfires in Las Rozas, a town near Madrid. De la Fuente stated that offering support and encouragement to those enduring these "tragic moments" is both an "obligation and a pride."

Speaking to Spanish public television (RTVE), De la Fuente emphasized the importance of solidarity, saying, "It is everyone's obligation to help and encourage them in these tragic moments." He added that it is crucial to "try to make these people happy, to be close to them, so they feel the support, the closeness, of all of Spain."

The coach, who led Spain to a World Cup victory on July 19, explained that his way of helping is "by participating in their pain so that they are a little calmer and more encouraged." He aims to "try to make people happy, to cheer them up, even for a few hours, for those who are going through such a difficult time." De la Fuente stressed that this moment calls for giving "the greatest importance" to human lives, adding, "All of Spain is watching them, they have the support of the whole country, the same as we have when playing football."

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has also provided assistance by making its official residence at the Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas available to shelter vulnerable families displaced by the fires. De la Fuente noted that they "enjoyed a pleasant, very affectionate time with families and children, trying to help in any way possible."

More than 116,000 people have been evacuated or confined across Spain due to the widespread fires. The regions of Madrid and Ávila account for the majority of evacuations, with approximately 100,000 people displaced. Another 16,000 were evacuated in the province of Castellón. The situation remains critical in central Spain, where the government declared a national emergency in three contiguous provinces, Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo, deploying significant resources from the military, security forces, Civil Protection, regional teams, and international aid.