The hope of Spain is in the past

• Chronicle: Cazorla is a 'millennial'
• Robert Moreno "If someone does not want me to be in the European Championship, I will not be doing well"
• Group F. Results and classification

To put into perspective what the current Spanish team is, it is worth noting a fact. Better written, in several data. The first speaks of age. Of the 23 summoned by Robert Moreno in this month of November, only five exceed 30 years: Jesús Navas (33), Sergio Ramos (33), Albiol (34), Busquets (31) and Cazorla (34) . Among the five there are 461 international matches , distributed as follows: Navas (42), Sergio Ramos (169), Albiol (55), Busquets (115) and Cazorla (80). The other 18 boys, one over the other, barely reach 226. Of course, the comparison of titles does not exist: the five veterans add up to four World Cups (all but Cazorla) and eight Eurocopas (Navas and Busquets were not in 2008) . The other 18 have none in absolute category.

The 53 minutes that Cazorla offered to Malta - they were not more because the stomp of an opponent in the first part left his left ankle battered, which is not that of his ordeal - return to the foreground an aged debate: has it really occurred a relay in Spain after the goodbye of the majority of the great generation? The answer, with nuances, is no. In 2014 it was the first big hit, even with the success wicker. There, at the World Cup in Brazil, the Iker, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Iniesta, Villa, Torres , etc. were wrecked forever ... Almost all have been disappearing from the national team, some of their own accord and others for others, in this case of the selectors. Since that time, more than five years ago, 51 players have debuted between Del Bosque, Lopetegui, Luis Enrique and Robert Moreno. And it turns out that, after those 51 appearances, the best news in recent months with Jesús Navas and Cazorla.

The once extreme and now lateral side of Sevilla is ahead, right now, of Dani Carvajal , one of the best in the world. Its depth, its capacity for one on one and the subtlety of its centers have opened a path to Spain, always stubborn against closed defenses (most of which are found). Cazorla, on the other hand, left in the Cádiz air the feeling that none of the midfielders who have arrived have the facility to create football that he has. He returned, at times, the memory of that football of touching and moving, touching and moving, playing vertically, entering and leaving with which Spain dominated the world for four years. Then there is the case of Albiol. In the casting started after Piqué's march a year ago, Villarreal's central seems to have taken the lead to the rest. His complicity, on and off the field, with Ramos, contributes to this. «Chori! Tell them you're a legend! ”The captain joked this week in Las Rozas while Albiol walked towards an interview.

"It is incalculable what these players bring, who have experience and who can not only advise young people, but continue to delight in their quality," explains Robert Moreno, who remains firm in his commitment to Busquets as a midfielder, beyond the irregular it's from the season. The coach is aware that, with the ages spent by these veterans, the European Championship is still far away and, except in the case of Ramos, and perhaps Busquets, with the rest should wait. But keep them in mind, well yes. "It is an advantage. In big tournaments it is very difficult to have experienced players, and they have it. When you have to go out to a full stadium to play a round of 16, a quarter, a semifinal or a final ... that accumulated experience is not only transmitted to the teammates, but to everyone around us, ”he draws.

"They have already been there, they already know what it is to win"

The key is relatively simple. The coach continues: «Because they have already been there, they already know what it is to win. So we are delighted to have these young people, because they are young although they seem older for football, on our side, and giving the performance they are giving ”, ditch, but not before referring to the protagonist of Friday. "And especially in the case of Santi, who has spent two horrible years with the injury, and it's as if football owed him those two years." This great role of veterans reinforces that nonexistence of a royal relay. The generation of European champions' 21 in 2013 with Lopetegui ( Koke, Thiago, Isco, Morata , etc ...) have not responded, and to those who have just arrived, European champions this year with Luis de la Fuente ( Fabian , Ceballos, Dani Olmo, Oyarzabal ...) it is still too early to judge them.

It is also not real to think of an increase in the weight of veterans. Those who are are those who can be. Many have already retired (Xavi, Xabi, Torres, Villa) and others left the selection (Iniesta). There are injured that were no longer in the pools (Casillas) and names that today are not an option (Cesc). Although, in reality, there is still room and his name is Jordi Alba (30 years old). Undisputed headline when he recovers, he could join, it wouldn't be strange today, Navas, Albiol, Ramos, Busquets and Cazorla. It would be more than half a team that already knows what it is to win. It doesn't seem like a small thing.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

• sports
• football
• Spain National Soccer Team
• 2020 Euro Cup
• Spain
• Robert Moreno
• Sergio Ramos
• Koke
• Jordi Alba
• Isco Alarcón
• Dani Carvajal

Eurocup 2020Cazorla is a 'millennial'

Eurocopa 2020 Sergio Ramos: "It's not the time, but there will be people in Barcelona who want to see their team there"

European Championship 2020Robert Moreno: "If someone does not want me to be in the European Championship, it will be that I am not doing my job well"