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Spain football coach De la Fuente visits Madrid wildfire evacuees / Photo: © AFP
Spain football coach De la Fuente visits Madrid wildfire evacuees
Spain's World Cup-winning coach Luis de la Fuente on Sunday visited evacuees from the wildfires which have torn through the Madrid region over recent days.
De la Fuente said he was hoping to boost the mood of nearly 300 displaced residents during his visit to Las Rozas, west of the Spanish capital, as well as meeting with volunteers and emergency personnel.
"It's everyone's obligation to help and to lift their spirits in these tragic moments," De la Fuente told Spanish broadcaster TVE at the Marazuela sports complex.
"I'm proud to be here in these moments with them... it makes us more human."
De la Fuente said all of the evacuees and others confined at home have "the support of the entire country, the same as we do when we are playing football".
Some evacuated families are also staying at the Spanish football federation's training facilities in Las Rozas.
Around 75,000 people have been displaced by the fires outside the capital and in neighbouring areas, as well as in the Valencia region.
De la Fuente led Spain to their second World Cup triumph this summer, with La Roja defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final on July 19 in New Jersey.
L. Andersson--BTZ
