By Charles Igwe
Following Spain’s thrilling 2-1 victory over England to win its fourth European Championship, several Spanish bishops have congratulated the national soccer team and highlighted the Catholic faith of their coach, Luis de la Fuente.
Archbishop José Ángel Saiz Meneses of Seville took to X to extend his congratulations after the final held in Berlin. He noted that Coach Luis de la Fuente is “a deeply believing man, without complexes about publicly manifesting his faith and devotion to the Holy Christ of the Expiration,” a significant crucifix in Seville that depicts Christ’s last breath on the cross.
The archbishop praised the coach for communicating “faith, humility, the value of the team above individuality, the spirit of sacrifice, effort, and trust.”
Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of Orihuela-Alicante also shared on X about the coach’s faith, recalling an incident where an atheist journalist questioned de la Fuente at a press conference about the role of God in the final match. De la Fuente responded, “faith is something personal and transferable,” and explained, “Since I am free and I can choose what I believe I have to do, based on my intelligence and my experiences (…) well, they induce me to believe in God and give me a lot of assurance and a lot of strength.”
This declaration of faith led Bishop Munilla to recall the words of Leo Messi after winning the World Cup, who said, “I didn’t do anything, it was God who made me play like this.” Munilla added, “How can we not recall those words of Jesus?: ‘Whoever confesses me before men, I will also confess before the Father (Matthew 10:32).’”
Bishop Juan Carlos Elizalde of Vitoria also took to X to congratulate the Spanish team and Carlos Alcaraz, the winner of the Wimbledon tennis tournament. He expressed hope that their examples would inspire many young people to engage in sports, teamwork, and healthy competitiveness, saying, “You have given us an unforgettable afternoon!”
