La Roja ponder life without Casillas
MADRID: Is there life after Iker Casillas for the Spanish national team?
This is the question floating in the late summer air in Spain, ahead of tomorrow’s friendly away to Belgium in Brussels.
After 16 years and 167 games for La Roja in their most successful ever period – Casillas was the triumphant captain at the 2010 World Cup, and Euros 2008 and 2012 – the Porto veteran has been left out by new coach Julen Lopetegui.
The successor to Vicente del Bosque was quick to claim that the door was still open for Casillas, but that he was placing his faith squarely in Manchester United keeper David de Gea – just as Del Bosque did at Euro 2016.
“Iker is a reference point and an icon, but on this occasion we have decided that De Gea should be the first-choice keeper,” Lopetegui said.
“But the national team door is certainly not closed for him (Casillas).”
Spain’s new captain in place of Casillas is Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos.
“We are all surprised that Casillas is not here but we must respect the decision of the coach,” Ramos said on Monday upon arriving at the Spanish federation’s training centre outside Madrid.
“But a new era is beginning, with radical changes, and with a lot of optimism about what is ahead of us.”
Other players from Spain’s glory days that were overlooked by Lopetegui are Cesc Fabregas and Pedro while Diego Costa, Juan Mata and Paco Alcacer – three strikers not taken to Euro 2016 – have been brought back.
For the first time in 13 years, there are more Real Madrid players (five) than Barcelona men (four), because of injury to Barca’s captain Andres Iniesta.
One of the Real players is the uncapped striker Marco Asensio, 20.
“Marco Asensio is in very good form and deserves to be here,” Ramos said.
“It’s great news to have so many Real Madrid players here. We are all working hard at our club and this is being recognized by the new manager.”
The other uncapped player called up by Del Bosque is goalkeeper Adrian San Miguel of West Ham.
“I am really happy with this call-up,” Adrian, 29, said.
“I just want to say thanks to all the people who have had confidence in me, over the years.”
Spain will face Liechtenstein in Leon on September 5, in their first qualifying match for the 2018 World Cup.
The Belgium match was originally scheduled for November 17, 2015, but was postponed then in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris four days earlier.
Lopetegui will not be the only coach making his international debut given that it will also be the first game in charge for Spaniard Roberto Martinez, who took over from Belgium coach Marc Wilmots a month ago.
Wilmots resigned shortly after Belgium’s shock defeat in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 against outsiders Wales, after his tactics were harshly criticized by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and several other leading players.
“This is a new start for the Belgium team,” Martinez said. “I can hardly wait for Thursday to arrive. I am very excited about this new challenge.”