In just two months, and in just two calls, the new coach, Luis de la Fuente, has had time to amend himself and change almost half of the players he called up in March. For the Final Four of the Nations League, which takes place in the Netherlands between the 14th and 18th of this month (Spain plays the semifinal against Italy on the 15th), there are 10 changes out of 23 positions. Almost half.
After the victory against Norway and the embarrassing defeat against Scotland, Robert Sánchez, Nacho, Pedro Porro, Iñigo Martínez (injured), Gayá, Balde (injured), Ceballos, Oyarzabal, Aspas and Borja Iglesias will not be there for this occasion. In their place come Unai Simón, Jesús Navas, Jordi Alba, Juan Bernat, Robin Le Normand, Canales, Asensio and Rodrigo Moreno. Ten casualties and eight novelties (this time the list is 23, not 25 as in March).
It is a revolution where the return of two veterans with a great pedigree (Navas and Alba, who had ended his relationship with the national team) and the incorporation of the French center-back Robin Le Normand, recently nationalized. In the same way, it is striking, above all, the absence of Ceballos, presumably the axis on which De la Fuente was going to build his project, and the return of Asensio, who was not there in March.
QUIET WITH YOUR FUTURE
After announcing the 23 selected, came the explanation for so much change. He wanted to transfer De la Fuente that he cut him off from the competition – “with two games we can win a title 11 years later,” he said – he has conditioned the list. It is assumed that this explains the return of two veterans like Jordi Alba and, above all, Jesús Navas (he had not been here since 2019), as well as the incorporation of Asensio, a footballer with a lot of experience in a team like Real Madrid.
De la Fuente also said that Ceballos's non-calling was not due to the problems the Real Madrid player had with Gavi, he focused on the fact that he felt the Federation's full support and acknowledged that the experience of his first call-up, in March, had served from experience. “And those experiences help us make decisions in a very specific context such as this very short competition.. And with all the data we have, we understand that these 23 are the best,” he analyzed.
ANNOUNCEMENT
GOALKEEPERS: Unai Simón (Athletic Club), Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea/ENG), David Raya (Brentford/ENG).
DEFENDERS: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Jesús Navas (Sevilla), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City/ENG), Robin Le Normand (Real Sociedad), David García (Osasuna), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Juan Bernat (PSG/FRA) ).
MIDFIELDS: Rodri Hernández (Manchester City/ENG), Gavi (Barcelona), Martín Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad), Fabián Ruiz (PSG/FRA), Sergio Canales (Real Betis).
FORWARDS: Nico Williams (Athletic Club), Álvaro Morata (Atlético de Madrid), Dani Olmo (Leipzig/ALE), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Joselu Mato (Espanyol), Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds/ENG), Yeremy Pino (Villarreal ).