Representatives for Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente reached out to U.S. Soccer about the vacant U.S. men’s national team job, doing so just days before Spain lifted their fourth European Championship on Sunday. Massoud Roushandel, the president of Global Elite Sports Group, told the Washington Post that he emailed U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker on Friday about de la Fuente’s interest in the job. Vicente Montes, de la Fuente’s advisor and someone who works closely with Roushandel, was also included in the email exchange.
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
The email from de la Fuente’s representative came two days after U.S. Soccer announced the firing of Gregg Berhalter, following the team’s earlier-than-expected group stage exit from the Copa America. Crocker said in a statement on Wednesday that the process has already begun to find Berhalter’s successor, and the search is expected to be wide-ranging. Many hope that U.S. Soccer will land a high-profile coach that can take the team up another level in time for the 2026 World Cup on home soil, and de la Fuente would certainly fit the bill after winning both last year’s UEFA Nations League competition and the Euros on Sunday.
It seems like the perfect situation to stay put until the 2026 World Cup, and de la Fuente said “I want to keep going and I think the [federation] wants me to keep going” in his post-match remarks on Sunday. Despite the celebratory mood, de la Fuente used a portion of his pre-match press conference to criticize the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The coach did not get into specifics, but he seemed to suggest the federation has not financially supported the national team in a way he deemed appropriate.
“No one has given us anything,” he said after the game. “When things cost so much, they are given even more value.”
As a result, there is reason to suspect that de la Fuente and his representatives are using the USMNT job as leverage for an improved deal with the RFEF. He reportedly signed a new deal last month, a year and a half after stepping into the role following Luis Enrique’s departure. In Spain, the post-match comments were interpreted as him saying the federation might now be forced to recognize his value after winning the Euros, especially after agreeing to a lower salary than he would have liked in his new contract.
“I think Luis de la Fuente has a contractual situation with the federation. Even though he renewed his contract, his wages are very, very low — tends to happen at the national [team] level,” Guillem Balague reported. “I think he was a little bit unhappy. … I think he just wants to reinforce his position in the federation.”
U.S. Soccer hopes to have Berhalter’s replacement in time for the USMNT’s next games, friendlies against Canada and New Zealand in September.
