“The important ones are the 26 called up” Luis Enrique defends his omission of Sergio Ramos, Thiago Alcântara, David de Gea

Luis Enrique’s illustrious tenure at FC Barcelona, where he led the team to two La Liga championships and one UEFA Champions League, has earned him a reputation as one of soccer’s best tactical managers. 

He was then chosen to lead the Spain national soccer team. The former Real Madrid player has been in charge of the Spanish national team for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup despite having previously announced his resignation once. 

Enrique announced his squad of 26 players for the Qatar World Cup on November 11th. Fans were surprised at the exclusion of big names like Sergio Ramos, Thiago Alcantara, and David De Gea, while youngster Nico Williams and out-of-form Jordi Alba got the calls. 

Spain have left some serious talent at home 😳 pic.twitter.com/D1ysgAtgQQ

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 11, 2022

This decision was made only for tactical reasons, and the manager has recently spoken out about it. While revealing the reason, Enrique sent a message to those players who he had overlooked.

“The message is of thanks. I know it’s a disappointment. They deserved to be here, but only 26 can be in the squad. If it were a normal World Cup, we would integrate the physical needs into the training, but halfway through the season, we are not going to work on the physical level of a player.”

The 52-year-old manager believes that this squad has a high chance of winning the World Cup, as he named the squad’s key 26 players, and he believes that they are the favorites in Group E, despite the presence of Germany, Japan, and Costa Rica. 

“I’m not going to go into the players that aren’t on the list. I thank everyone who has helped us get here, but now the important ones are the 26 called up. We have a lot of young people, but also veterans. There is a good mix.”

The World Cup journey of Spain’s soccer team will start on 23 November, playing against Costa Rica.