Every team Luis de la Fuente has coached, year by year
Luis de la Fuente has coached eleven teams since 1997: Portugalete (1997-2000), Aurrera de Vitoria (2000-2001), Sevilla FC youth team (2001-2005, with Sergio Ramos and Jesús Navas), Athletic youth team (2005-2006), Bilbao Athletic (two spells: 2006-2007 and 2009-2011) and Deportivo Alavés (Jul-Oct 2011). In 2013 he joined the RFEF with the U19, U18 and U21. He has been Spain senior head coach since December 2022 and won Euro 2024.
Full career walkthrough with methods and lessons for coaches.
WizardFull timeline
Here is the complete list of teams coached by Luis de la Fuente, in chronological order:
| Period | Team | Level |
|---|---|---|
| 1997-2000 | Portugalete | Club |
| 2000-2001 | Aurrera de Vitoria | Club |
| 2001-2005 | Sevilla FC youth team | Academy |
| 2005-2006 | Athletic Club Juvenil de Honor | Academy |
| 2006-2007 | Bilbao Athletic (reserves, 1st spell) | Club |
| 2009-2011 | Bilbao Athletic (reserves, 2nd spell) | Club |
| Jul-Oct 2011 | Deportivo Alavés | Club |
| 2013-2019 | Spain U19 | Federation |
| 2017-2018 | Spain U18 | Federation |
| 2018-2022 | Spain U21 | Federation |
| Summer 2020 | Spain Olympic team (Tokyo 2020) | Federation |
| Dec 2022 - present | Spain senior team | Federation |
Club career (1997-2011)
De la Fuente debuted as a coach in 1997 at Portugalete, a third-division club in the Nervión basin in Biscay. His coaching career started in regional categories, not on a professional bench.
- Portugalete (1997-2000): First professional bench. Third division.
- Aurrera de Vitoria (2000-2001): Historic Basque club in lower divisions.
- Sevilla FC youth team (2001-2005): Four seasons leading the Sevilla academy. He coached Sergio Ramos and Jesús Navas during their youth years.
- Athletic Club Juvenil de Honor (2005-2006): Return to Bilbao to coach the academy of the club where he came through as a player.
- Bilbao Athletic (2006-2007 and 2009-2011): Two spells in charge of Athletic Club's reserve side. Between them he served as first-team delegate.
- Deportivo Alavés (July-October 2011): Very brief stint. Sacked in October. His last club coaching seasons before joining the federation.
What stands out from this stretch is that he never looked for shortcuts: every step was a logical progression in responsibility, without skipping levels. The full analysis is in the complete career, method and lessons piece.
Federation years (2013-2022)
In 2013 he joined the Royal Spanish Football Federation and spent nine years in youth categories before the senior side. In that stretch he coached three different federation teams and won four titles:
- Spain U19 (2013-2019): His longest stint in youth football. U19 European champion in 2015.
- Spain U18 (2017-2018): Gold medal at the 2018 Mediterranean Games (U18).
- Spain U21 (2018-2022): U21 European champion in 2019, beating Germany in the final. Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020 with the Olympic team.
That sequence matters because the generation that won Euro 2024 (Fabián Ruiz, Dani Olmo, Mikel Merino, Mikel Oyarzabal, Unai Simón) had already played for his federation sides. The crossover from youth to elite under the same coach is detailed in the U21 to senior transition analysis.
Spain senior team (December 2022 - present)
On 10 December 2022, two days after Luis Enrique left following the Qatar World Cup exit, De la Fuente was appointed Spain senior head coach. It is his eleventh team as a coach and his third federation role after the youth sides.
Under him, Spain has won two titles:
- Nations League 2023: Final won on penalties against Croatia (Spain's first shootout win in a decade).
- Euro 2024: Seven wins in seven games (a tournament record) with no penalty shootouts. Final won against England (2-1, Oyarzabal goal).
His tactical model is detailed in Spain's 4-3-3 that won Euro 2024 and the comparison with the previous cycle in De la Fuente vs Luis Enrique. The next test is the 2026 World Cup.
Trophies by team
This is the list of trophies won by De la Fuente as a coach, by team:
| Team | Trophy | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Spain U19 | U19 European Championship | 2015 |
| Spain U18 | Mediterranean Games gold | 2018 |
| Spain U21 | U21 European Championship | 2019 |
| Spain Olympic | Olympic silver (Tokyo) | 2020 |
| Spain senior | Nations League | 2023 |
| Spain senior | European Championship | 2024 |
Frequently asked questions
How many teams has Luis de la Fuente coached?
Eleven teams in total since 1997: six at club level (Portugalete, Aurrera de Vitoria, Sevilla FC youth, Athletic youth, Bilbao Athletic with two spells and Deportivo Alavés) and five federation sides (U19, U18, U21, Olympic team and the senior Spain side).
Which was his first team as a coach?
His first coaching job was at Portugalete, in 1997, in the Spanish third division. He chose to start in regional categories rather than use his name to access a professional bench directly.
When did Luis de la Fuente join the Spanish federation?
He joined the RFEF coaching structure in 2013 as U19 head coach. From there he coached the U18, then the U21 and, since December 2022, the senior side.
What has Luis de la Fuente won as a coach?
With youth sides: U19 European Championship (2015), U18 Mediterranean Games gold (2018), U21 European Championship (2019) and Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020. With the senior team: Nations League 2023 and Euro 2024.
Did he coach any major professional club?
His club career was in academy and lower divisions of Spanish football (third and second-B, today's Segunda RFEF and Primera RFEF). The best-known sides he coached were the Sevilla FC youth team (2001-2005, with Sergio Ramos and Jesús Navas) and Bilbao Athletic, Athletic Club's reserve side, in two spells (2006-2007 and 2009-2011).
Did De la Fuente coach Spain U21 and U18 at the same time?
Not simultaneously. His federation path was sequential: first U19 (2013-2019), then U18 (briefly in 2017-2018 for the Mediterranean Games), then U21 (2018-2022). During the summer of 2020 he also led the Olympic team that won silver in Tokyo.