Sergio Ramos will not play the Eurocup with Spain. Luis Enrique left the Spanish captain and footballer with the most international appearances out of the selection that will contest the continental championship on Monday. The Sevillian central Real Madrid is currently injured and was the great unknown in the call of Luis Enrique, but the Asturian coach has decided to do without him.
«He has not been able to compete since January in the right conditions, nor train with the group. It has not been easy. I told you yesterday. It is difficult and hard. It tastes bad to me, because he is very professional and someone who has always been to the national team, but I always seek the benefit of the team and what I consider best for the group “, justified Luis Enrique after providing the list of 24 players who will face the Eurocup at starting June 10, with the first phase at La Cartuja in Seville.
César Azpilicueta, Chelsea defender who can play as a center back and as a winger, and Pablo Sarabia, a PSG forward, are, apart from the recently nationalized Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), the great novelties in a list in which the big surprise was without However the absence of Sergio Ramos. For the first time in history there will be no Real Madrid player in a European Championship, as Dani Carvajal is also injured and the coach has not called up Nacho or Marco Asensio either, as expected.
Another of the notable absences is that of Iñigo Martínez, the usual Athletic center-back with Luis Enrique who has given up defending Spain in the Eurocup. As announced by the Asturian coach, throughout the day Iñigo Martínez will make public a statement to explain his reasons. The Sevilla player Jesús Navas has also been out due to injury.
Those chosen by Luis Enrique to fight to try to recover the lost glory, since after its most successful cycle in history, everyone’s team has failed in the World Cups in Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018, as well as in the European Championship in France 2016, they will enjoy of a minimal vacation before concentrating on May 31 at La Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas. Little time for work and two preparation friendlies in the Community of Madrid, the first against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, on June 4 at the Wanda Metropolitano, and on June 8 against Lithuania, in Butarque, Leganés’ stronghold.
All the lights pointed to Sergio Ramos this Monday. Luis Enrique was in a difficult situation, since he was going to be criticized for any decision he made in this regard. If he dispensed with the Sevillian center-back because nothing less than for the final phase of a Eurocup was charged to the great captain, the player who adds 180 international twists, just four from the world record for international caps held by the Egyptian Ahemd Hassan, but the game has been decisive. The physical state of the Camas player.
Punished for injuries
Huge risk meant eliminating from a list of 26 chosen the natural leader of La Roja, the most forceful in the two areas and a player who has been in four final stages of World Cups, all since 2006, and in three European Cups since the title achieved in 2008 in Vienna. Indisputable for all his coaches and always praised by Luis Enrique, who has highlighted his quality, commitment, leadership and ability to influence the youngest, but his condition is not optimal to face such a demanding championship.
There are still almost three weeks to go before Spain’s premiere in the European Championship against Sweden, on June 14 at La Cartuja in Seville, and keeping Ramos meant instead choosing one more footballer for what he represents than for his value at this time. The Real Madrid center-back has completed his worst season due to injuries: a knee operation, various muscle injuries and currently a tendinosis that keeps him without playing with Zinedine Zidane since the elimination against Chelsea in the Champions League last 5 of May. He was slow, imprecise in passing and with an alarming sense of insecurity. He was called up for the last game of the season against Villarreal, but he did not play for a minute and it was more because he was in a duel that a league could decide if Atlético failed in Valladolid.
His last call-up with Spain was bizarre. It was on the occasion of the first qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, two months ago. He played only the first half against Greece, also with very poor performance, did not count for Luis Enrique against Georgia and enjoyed the garbage minutes in the 3-1 against Kosovo at La Cartuja. And he was injured doing the typical post-game exercises with La Roja.
The 24 players called up:
Goalkeepers: Unai Simón (Athletic), David de Gea (Manchester United) and Robert Sánchez (Brighton).
Defenders: José Luis Gayà (Valencia), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), Eric García (Manchester City), Diego Llorente (Leeds United), César Azpilicueta (Chelsea) and Marcos Llorente (Atlético de Madrid).
Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri Hernández (Manchester City), Pedri González (Barcelona), Thiago Alcántara (Liverpool), Koke Resurrección (Atlético de Madrid) and Fabián Ruiz (Naples).
Forwards: Dani Olmo (Leipzig), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Álvaro Morata (Juventus), Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), Ferran Torres (Manchester City), Adama Traoré (Wolverhampton) and Pablo Sarabia (PSG).
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