Iker Casillas, Juanfran and Isco are the envy of most national teams across the continent. Yet, Spain and Julen Lopetegui can do without them apparently.
It’s no secret that Spain’s shine started to dim during the latter stages of Vicente Del Bosque’s Golden Age. Therefore, Julen Lopetegui’s first squad selection as the national coach betrays a man trying to revitalise a team that has slowly become a shadow of its world dominating peak.
Yet, his first headline-grabbing decision should not really warrant its cumulative column inches. Iker Casillas being dropped from Spain’s 23 feels like a merciful end to an overlong era, to the point where it felt as if the former Real Madrid ‘keeper was being retained merely because it would save Del Bosque from a rather awkward conversation.
Yet, just a month after the former Under-21 boss was appointed to the top job, the World Cup winning captain was out. Rarely has a reputation tumbled so quickly. Formerly the untouchable leader, the undisputed world’s best, the 2014 World Cup heralded the beginning of the end.
A number of high-profile mistakes against Holland and Chile consigned the World and European champions to a group-stage exit in Brazil but it’s taken two more years, during which Casillas was booed and bungled out of the Bernabau, for the inevitable to be made official. Saint Iker has lost his halo.
Yes, Lopetegui’s decision appears brave on paper. But, with David de Gea’s long-awaited accession completed in France this summer, there really was no decision to be made.
However, that is certainly not the case with regards to Isco and Juanfran. Despite their differing fortunes on either side of the Madrid divide, the dropped duo were expected to form an important part of the transition between a once glorious regime and the next.
Juanfran, after all, remains as reliably consistent as ever, Spain’s starting right-back at Euro 2016. However, with Dani Carvajal recovering from the injury that ruled him out of Del Bosque’s final tournament and the versatile Sergi Roberto impressing at right-back at Barcelona, Juanfran’s omission appears a classic case of ‘looking to the future’.
The absence of Isco, for all his fleet-footed brilliance, is equally understandable. Though a vital part of Lopetegui’s 2013 European Championship winning Under-21 side, the former Malaga playmaker has been usurped at both club and country level by the nation’s latest fresh-faced prodigy; Marco Asensio (below). Two sublime goals in his first two starts for Real Madrid have undoubtedly helped his cause.
With the world-class-in-waiting Saul Niguez, Alvaro Morata, Lucas Vazquez flanked by perennial champions Sergio Busquetts, Gerard Pique and David Silva, Spain are a team in transition. In times like this, you need your manager to take responsibility. Be bold and ruthless. Lopetegui, then, may have just passed his first test.
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