Spain to pay 'special attention' to Messi in World Cup final, coach says

Spain's coach, Luis de la Fuente, revealed that his team plans to give Lionel Messi "special attention" during Sunday's World Cup final against Argentina. However, he ruled out employing a strict man-to-man marking strategy against the legendary Argentine forward.

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I first encountered him when I was coaching the Sevilla youth team. We went to Barcelona, and I had heard great things about a kid named Messi. So we assigned a player to mark him man-to-man, but in the 70th minute, I substituted the marker because he was on a yellow card. The score was 0-0, and in the span of 15 minutes, Messi scored four goals against us.

De la Fuente shared a cautionary tale from his experience coaching Sevilla's youth team. He recalled assigning a player to man-mark a young Messi, only to have to substitute the marker due to a yellow card. In the subsequent 15 minutes, Messi scored four goals, illustrating the futility of such tactics against him. "So we won't use man-to-man marking this time," de la Fuente stated. "We have to stay alert and pay special attention, certainly."

The Spanish coach expressed deep admiration for Messi, calling him "one of a kind" and an "example for young athletes." De la Fuente acknowledged Messi's spectacular performance throughout the tournament, especially at his age, as Argentina's captain carries them into what is likely his final World Cup appearance.

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So we won’t use man-to-man marking this time. We have to stay alert and pay special attention, certainly.

Beyond the Messi focus, the final also presents a personal duel between de la Fuente and his Argentine counterpart, Lionel Scaloni, who were friends when de la Fuente instructed Scaloni during his coaching license studies. De la Fuente strongly refuted any suggestion that Argentina might resort to unsportsmanlike conduct, emphasizing his "utmost admiration" for the national team and their achievements. He anticipates a match where "talent and good football will rule over everything else."

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Messi is one of a kind. An example for young athletes in terms of his attitude and behaviour, especially given the spectacular World Cup he is playing at his age.

Additionally, de la Fuente commented on the extended half-time interval for the final, expected to be nearly double the usual 15 minutes due to a halftime show. He believes that longer breaks and hydration intervals, already introduced in this World Cup, could become standard practice in football in the coming years.

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Oh, please, no, no, no. I would never dare to say that. I have the utmost admiration for this national team.