Spanish bishops celebrate success of champion soccer team

José Calderero de Aldecoa, OSV News
07/16/2024

MADRID (OSV News) — Spanish bishops celebrated the success of the country's soccer team July 14 as the iconic players won their record fourth European Championship title by handing England an agonizing loss.

     The bishops also praised the coach, Luis de la Fuente, for his testimony as a practicing Catholic — he did not shy away from his faith throughout the tournament.

     The Spanish national soccer team beat England 2-1 in a final game organized in Berlin, the German capital, on a historical Sunday only hours before Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz won the Wimbledon tournament.

      After the final whistle of the soccer game, jubilation spread throughout Spain and the bishops clearly wanted to participate in the fiesta.

      Archbishop José Ángel Saiz Meneses of Seville spoke out first and immediately after the match. "Congratulations! Thank you champions! Congratulations to everyone," he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on July 14.

      Addressing the champions' coach, the archbishop said de la Fuente is "a deeply religious man" who is not self-conscious about "publicly expressing his faith," adding that the Spanish coach-turned-hero has a special devotion to Holy Christ of the Expiration, located in the 17th-century Minor Basilica in Seville. Archbishop Saiz illustrated the post with the picture of de la Fuente praying in front of the famous cross.

      "He has been able to transmit faith, humility, the value of the team above individualities, the spirit of sacrifice, effort, confidence ... THANK YOU!" stressed the archbishop of Seville.

      Bishop José Ignacio Munilla Aguirre of Orihuela-Alicante also congratulated the team on X, especially highlighting "the testimony of faith of the coach."

      Bishop Munilla compared the coach's faith to that of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi, who acknowledged in an interview that his great performance on the field is a gift that God gave him and that he has only had to put this gift to fruition.

      "Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father," Bishop Munilla said on X, citing the Gospel according to Matthew.

      De la Fuente said in a July 8 interview with Spanish Catholic radio COPE, asked whether he has any habits before matches:

"No. I make the sign of the cross before matches, but that is faith. I have faith," he said, although he added "it is true that I really like the number 13. But I am not superstitious. There are days when I fall asleep even on the bus on the way to the stadium. I have no habits, no rituals."

      Spain's beloved coach is a husband and father of three. His son followed his footsteps as a soccer player -- a career de la Fuente chose first and one that made him famous before becoming a coach.

      "During my life I have had many doubts and I have been far from religion, but at one point in my life, I decided to get closer to and rely on God for everything I do," de la Fuente recently said in an interview with El Mundo.

      Spain's sports stars can be a signpost for the young generation, Bishop Juan Carlos Elizalde Espinal of Vitoria said. Congratulating tennis Wimbledon champion Alcaraz and the national soccer team, the bishop said: "May many young people follow your example of leisure time linked to sport, teamwork, healthy competition and effort and overcoming to be better every day. You have given us an unforgettable afternoon!"

The story was originally published in Alfa y Omega, a Spanish Catholic media outlet. OSV News contributed to this report.

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