Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has rejected Athletic Bilbao's criticism of their management of Nico Williams.
Athletic president Jon Uriarte has lambasted the RFEF for allowing so many questions put to Williams about his future during the Euros.
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But De la Fuente insists: “We totally and absolutely protect the players, but they have freedom. We know that regardless of their professionalism, what happens outside continues to happen and we give naturalness to those situations.
“We spoke with the players, and they are focused on what is happening here. How they handle those questions in interviews, how they manage those moments depends on the player – they can decide whether they want to talk about it or not.
"He is free to say yes or no.”