• Selection: Olmo, Morata and Alcácer, news in a selection without Ansu Fati
  • Olmo: The Spanish talent that Croatia goes by

The images of the strikers that Robert Moreno has summoned for the matches against Malta (day 15 in Cádiz) and against Romania (day 18 in Madrid) appeared on Friday's picture of Velázquez "Las Lanzas". Among them, there was only one rookie, Dani Olmo (Terrassa, 1998), midfielder of the Dinamo Zagreb and a reference player of the U21 team, with whom he won European gold in June.

The coach calls for the first time the youth of Barcelona, ​​who for six years has dazzled the fields of the Croatian league. His good work in that competition (two goals and two assists) and in the Champions League (four goals and four assists between the previous qualifiers and the group stage) has convinced Moreno, who continues to shape the final list for the European Championship next summer

«Dani Olmo made a great European [sub'21]. The Croatian league does not have the level of the Spanish, but it is doing very well with his team, especially in the Champions League. We are very happy to give you the opportunity, ”said the Spanish coach in an atypical press conference, held at the Prado Museum, where the call for the two meetings that remain from this qualifying phase was announced.

The Catalan talent left the Masía in 2014 with destination Croatia after being the top scorer in four of the six seasons in which he remained in the lower categories of Barcelona, ​​an entity he reached at age nine from Espanyol. There, it is true that in a minor league, he accumulated last year the awards for best young and best player of the season.

Dalic claimed him for Croatia

Even the Croatian coach, Zlatko Dalic, claimed last April that Olmo put on the colors of the national team. However, quickly, the midfielder declined the offer. His father, Miquel Olmo, explained in this newspaper how that offer was: «The coach considered that he was in a position to play for them. Dani thanked the interest very much, but it was always clear. The door is closed. Although Croatia is his second homeland, his dream was always to play with Spain ». On Friday, finally, his son's dream was fulfilled, which in recent months he has served as captain of the U21, with which he hopes to attend the Tokyo Olympics.

Olmo is an anarchic player, oblivious to current football, where tactics prevail above all. Neither their goals nor their assists are the most determining factors of their game, but their dribbling. An element that is scarce, especially in the selection. The ability with the ball stuck to his left is unquestionable. And to prove it, a fact: he is the third player in this edition of the Champions League that completes the most dribbles (16), only behind Leo Messi (28) and Willian (17). Moreover, to find another Spanish in this table of dribblers you have to descend to the tenth place, where Valencianist Dani Parejo is, with eight.

The disappearance of the map of Isco Alarcón , relegated to the most delayed seats of the Santiago Bernabéu bench, makes Dani Olmo the only pure midfielder Robert Moreno has on his list. Behind the striker, the left-hander is also an expert second-line starter.

The coach will use this concentration, with the Spanish team already classified, to observe closely if the young Catalan, despite being a soldier in a minor league, is prepared to have a relevant role in a competition as demanding as a Eurocup.

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  • Robert Moreno
  • Croatia
  • Madrid
  • Leo Messi
  • Isco Alarcón
  • Spain
  • Champions League
  • sports
  • Spain National Soccer Team

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