Juan Carlos Unzué urges Luis de la Fuente with a message of courage

On Tuesday, the Spanish national team beat Croatia in the Nations League, but the victory was accompanied by an unexpected life lesson: a message from Juan Carlos Unzué, former coach who is battling ALS, delivered by Luis de la Fuente before the match.

The official Spanish national team social media accounts posted on Thursday a video of the motivational talk that Luis de la Fuente gave before the win over Croatia. The clip shows the manager encouraging his players with words of encouragement.

Unzué's Message and His Fight Against ALS

In the intervention, the coach quoted a message from Juan Carlos Unzué, former coach of the squad who suffers from ALS. Unzué, known for his closeness to the coaching staff, sent his words despite his delicate health situation.

“Today a message has arrived from someone you all know well, some especially,” de la Fuente explained to his players. He continued describing Unzué as “a real guy” who embodies courage, ambition and effort.

De la Fuente projected the text: “Good afternoon, Luis. Congratulations on the latest victory and I hope you secure the full three points today. I love seeing the attitude and ambition of the players.” The message celebrated the win and reinforced confidence.

The manager reiterated “the attitude and ambition of the players”, noting that those words come from Juan Carlos Unzué. He considered those qualities essential for performance.

He assured that Unzué’s recognition is a life lesson for the whole group and reflects the great friendship they share. He highlighted values such as courage, effort and overcoming as pillars of the match.

Thus, the victory over Croatia was reinforced by the personal inspiration offered by Unzué, showing that the message of a sick former coach can lift the squad’s morale. The contrast between the sporting triumph and the fight against ALS underscores the strength of the human bond within the national team.