This Friday, Luis de la Fuente presented his last list for the Spanish team before the one he will take to the European Championship in Germany, for two friendlies once morest Colombia and Brazil, and a good part of his appearance was dedicated to a footballer who did not appear on it. Brahim Díaz (Málaga; 24 years old) had entered a Moroccan squad two days earlier, following having played with Spain in the under-17, under-19, under-21 and in a friendly with the senior team. “Everyone is where they want to be,” said the coach.
“He makes the decision even before I provide the pre-list for March 1,” he assured. Despite that, a few minutes later he explained that he included him that day: “On March 1 I give a pre-list in which he is on. From November to March there was the possibility of calling him.” According to De la Fuente, what happened between that pre-list and this Friday’s call was determined by an official communication: “I didn’t call you because they informed me that it was impossible. There is a document from March 9 in which he renounces playing for Spain,” he said. Sources close to the footballer assure, however, that Brahim has not given up playing for Spain, but rather has completed the procedures to be eligible for Morocco, but still not be eligible for the country of his birth. “In the federation, however, they interpret these efforts as the definitive declaration that the player has chosen another course.”
“He has decided to play for Morocco. I have done sportingly what he might do: put him on a pre-list,” said De la Fuente. He also wanted to clarify his words on Monday in which he had hinted at some discomfort over some alleged demands from the Real Madrid footballer: “He has not demanded anything from me personally. When I speak of demands and conditions, I speak in a general way, as a maxim. No footballer can demand anything, or ask for anything. He has not demanded anything of me, because he had nothing to demand of me. He was clear that he wanted to play for Morocco.”
Who De la Fuente has included is Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsí, who has just turned 17 and who has played with the first team in 12 games (918 minutes): nine in the League, two in the Copa del Rey and one in the Champions, on Tuesday once morest Naples, a match in which he was chosen MVP. “We are not surprised by anything he is doing,” said the coach. “We never look at the ID card; just the performance. The only interest that moves us when calling up a player is sports. “We try to bring the best players to help us win.”
Also new on the list is another central defender, Dani Vivian, from Athletic, who completes that position with Le Normand and Laporte, who returns to a call from Arabia following being absent in the last one due to a domestic mishap.
Spain has two friendly matches ahead of it, the last ones once morest rivals of some weight before the Euro Cup. On Friday, March 22, they play once morest Colombia (9:30 p.m., La1) at the London Stadium, the former Olympic stadium for the 2012 Games, now home to West Ham. Four days later, on Tuesday, March 26, they host Brazil at the Santiago Bernabéu (9:30 p.m., La1). After these matches, they will only face Andorra and Ireland before competing in the tournament in Germany, which opens on June 15 once morest Croatia.
The match once morest Brazil is a match once morest racism planned in June last year following the racist attacks suffered by Vinicius, which reached their most serious point in Mestalla. Under the motto “One Skin”, the idea was launched by the presidents of the Spanish and Brazilian federations at the time, Luis Rubiales and Ednaldo Rodrigues, neither of whom are still in office. Rubiales resigned in September, when FIFA had already suspended him from his duties following the episode of the kiss with Jenni Hermoso following the World Cup final in Australia. Rodrigues was dismissed in December by a court in Rio de Janeiro, which annulled the elections that had brought him to office in 2022.
The complete list for Spain’s next two friendlies
Goalkeepers: Unai Simón (Athletic), David Raya (Arsenal) and Remiro (Real Sociedad).
Defenses: Carvajal (Real Madrid), Navas (Sevilla), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Laporte (Al Nassr), Le Normand (Real Sociedad), Vivian (Athletic), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona), Gayà (Valencia) and Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen ).
Midfielders: Rodri (Manchester City), Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad), Fabián (PSG), Baena (Villarreal) and Sancet (Athletic)
Fronts: Morata (Atlético de Madrid), Nico Williams (Athletic), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig), Joselu (Real Madrid), Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad) and Pablo Sarabia (Wolverhampton).
