Spain manager Luis de la Fuente is set to face Lionel Scaloni, the current Argentina boss, in a reunion nine years after De la Fuente mentored Scaloni during his UEFA A license coaching course. The pair, who will lead their respective nations in the World Cup final, share a history that began with a teacher-student dynamic.
Scaloni, who had played in Spain's La Liga, was working as part of Jorge Sampaoli's staff at Sevilla when he enrolled in the coaching course in 2017. De la Fuente, then working with Spanish youth teams, was among the instructors guiding the next generation of coaches. They were pictured together during the course, which also included future Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola.
De la Fuente taught Scaloni subjects including the evolution of football and team building. He described Scaloni as a "restless and curious" student who actively participated in debates and discussions. "The great thing about those lessons was that they stayed in Las Rozas to play soccer with each other - real matches, eh? Competitive on the field and humble in class," De la Fuente recalled. He noted that Scaloni, like many others on the course, had a diverse range of playing backgrounds, but in the classroom, everyone was treated equally.
Scaloni received his Pro Licence in early 2018. By the end of that year, he had taken temporary charge of the Argentina national team. Despite initial criticism from figures like Diego Maradona, Scaloni has since led Argentina to consecutive Copa America titles and the 2022 World Cup victory.
De la Fuente was appointed as Spain's head coach in the same year and guided his nation to Euro 2024 success. An anticipated meeting between the two in the Finalissima in March was canceled. Now, they are set to finally meet on the World Cup final stage.
Scaloni expressed his happiness for De la Fuente, stating, "Luis is a great person. Everything we see in his team is what we would like to see in ours." De la Fuente reflected on their shared journey, noting, "Who would have thought? Life is wonderful. And even more so because nothing was ever handed to me or him. If we're world and European champions, it's only thanks to hard work, hard work, and more hard work."