De la Fuente tried to convince Busquets but "he had already made up his mind"

Spain new coach Luis de la Fuente spoke about Sergio Busquets' retirement from the Spanish national team at an event held at the International Olympic Committee. The coach regretted not having been able to convince the player to continue.

"I was privileged to receive a call on Friday informing me that he had made this decision. I tried to convince him but he is a man of clear ideas and his mind was made up. I could only respect him," the coach said.

"I want to recognise the very important role he has played in Spanish football. He is one of the most important players in Spanish football because of what he has achieved on the pitch. I respect his decision and I support him.

"It is a very emotional loss, but football goes on and we will have to think about future replacements. There are some very good ones, although they will have a long way to go to reach the level of what Busquets has achieved," Luis de la Fuente added.

 

December 16, 2022