After unveiling the squad with the 26 chosen to represent Spain in the World Cup, Luis de la Fuente sat on a stool and openly discussed all his decisions. “It is a very mature, well-worked, and thoroughly analyzed list, we have spent many months going over it,” he began, flanked by the Spanish national team’s press chief.
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Among those called up, the presence of Gavi stands out, who since 2023 had only been called up once, and Eric García, who had not been an international since the Qatar World Cup. “Gavi brings us versatility and a great emotional factor, he is the team’s toy. And I know Eric García very well, I know perfectly what he is capable of and how he can integrate, I have had him in the U19, U21, and at some Games,” emphasized the man from La Rioja.
One aspect that may be important in the call-up is the fact that there are several key pieces for De la Fuente, such as Lamine Yamal, Mikel Merino, or Nico Williams, who are not in perfect physical condition. The coach appeared very calm and revealed that communication with the medical services of the respective clubs has been intense and fluid. “The information we have is that if there are no setbacks, we will be able to count on everyone for the first match. In any case, if not, they would arrive by the second,” he reported.
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De la Fuente did not want to delve into the predominance of Barça in the list, with eight representatives, and the historic fact of the absence of Real Madrid players for the first time in World Cup history. “I do not have a localist mentality, I look more globally, I do not care about the players’ origins,” he concluded. He showed the same stance regarding the choice of Joan García, whose presence he assured does not put “any pressure” on him.
The coach did address “the hardest part of our job,” confirming that he had to make several “unpleasant” calls to players to inform them that they would not be included in the squad. Precisely, the only name he revealed was Álex Remiro, until now a regular in his lists. “But the story does not end here, there will be more opportunities,” he told him.
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