IF THE KIDS COME GOOD, SPAIN CAN REIGN
IT HAS been 12 years since Spain won the World Cup in South Africa with six Barcelona players in the starting XI. If they are to rule in Qatar they will need players from the same club to play an important part again.
It is Pedri, who turns 20 in November, Ansu Fati, who will be 20 at the end of next month, and Gavi, who is only 18, that look most capable of turning them into contenders.
Last year Pedri became the youngest player to compete in a European Championship and was named young player of the tournament as Spain were beaten semi-finalists at Wembley. He has developed at Barcelona under Xavi adding a greater goal threat to his already sublime passing game. Alongside him in midfield will be the rambunctious Gavi who has just signed a four-year contract, complete with a €1billion release clause and Xavi’s old No 6 shirt.
Fati is the third Barca jewel in Spain’s crown although last season’s left knee injury have both his club coach and Spain manager Luis Enrique
Martinez exercising extreme caution so as not to overload him with games.
He has been left out of this week’s Nations League matches despite the fact that his family, keen to see his return to international football, had bought tickets for Spain’s game in Portugal.
Another absentee from the final squad to face Portugal and Switzerland this week was Sergio Ramos. No news there, except for the fact that he had been named in the coach’s 55-player shortlist but not in his 23-man squad.
That seemed a clear indication to the 36-year-old that the door has not been closed on him making the cut for Qatar if he continues to play well for PSG. Former Liverpool striker Iago Aspas is most Spaniards’ pick as the country’s best forward and no Spanish national scored more goals last season. But he is consistently overlooked on the grounds that his club side Celta Vigo play solely to his strengths and Spain can’t. Likewise, players who barely play for their club sides such as Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio and Barcelona’s Jordi Alba are all still squad fixtures. Betis striker Borja Iglesias has been called up for a debut and could end up leading the line with Fati and Villarreal’s exciting winger Yeremy Pino, who turns 20 just before the tournament.
Sergio Busquets or Manchester City’s Rodri will anchor midfield and if Ramos doesn’t return another City player, Aymeric Laporte, is likely to partner Pau Torres in central defence. Second guessing a best XI is not easy with youth and injury doubts fogging predictions.
If the Barca three come good Spain have a real chance.
If not they will be
relying on Luis Enrique’s ability to get the team to perform at a level greater than the sum of its parts to register any sort of progress.