The reasons for Jordi Alba's resurgence: "He learned not to put faces"

• Chronicle A decaffeinated Spain ties with Germany and leaves the round of 16 a point away

• Morata A debt with Luis Enrique, goals in his late first World Cup and humility in the dressing room

Jordi Alba

is a "vacilón".

It is said by those who speak well of him.

Jordi Alba is "special".

It is said by those who do not want to speak ill of him because they are speaking to the press, but they do not want to speak well of him either because, for better or for worse, the team's starting left-back (L'Hospitalet, 33 years old) is a A guy who leaves no one indifferent except in one place: on the field, in this World Cup, his performance is beyond discussion.

The pass from him, millimeter, to

's career in the goal against Germany is the latest sample of an enviable state of form.

The fact that he had to be substituted in the 82nd minute does not indicate anything.

This Monday he went out to train normally with his teammates, although it is foreseeable that he will rest against Japan, since the pass is a half-done thing.

To know more

World Cup 2022.

Do not stop, go on, go on...

• Drafting: ORFEO SUÁREZDoha

Do not stop, go on, go on...

World Cup 2022.

Santi Cañizares' analysis: "It was an important match, from another phase"

Santi Cañizares' analysis: "It was an important match, from another phase"

"Jordi is the left-back with the best last pass in the world and has participated in almost all the goals. He has been spectacular", was

's phrase at Al Bayt, still recent the image of Alba's 22nd assist since He has been playing with the national team for 11 years (he made his debut in November 2011 against Scotland, and there he already assisted Silva).

Since then, 21 more have fallen, which places him as the

, only behind names that are two things: legends and midfielders.

Cesc (36), Silva (32), Iniesta (30) and Xavi (25) are the only ones who surpass the most influential left back in the offensive game that this country remembers.

In his 88 appearances, apart from those

another unprecedented figure in his position.

The first of them was scored in the memorable 2012 Euro Cup final against Italy (a tournament in Poland and Ukraine in which he was the undisputed starter when he had only participated in seven games before).

From that time he was always indisputable.

For

, who was the one who made him debut, and for

.

However, things began to go wrong when

landed , with whom he had not finished very well at Barcelona.

Why?

Easy.

"With Valverde, with little, I will do better"

On February 14, 2017, Barça visited the Parque de los Príncipes in the first leg of the round of 16 of that Champions League.

Luis Enrique's team fell 4-0, and the coach, for the return, dispensed with Alba to play a 3-4-3 (that ended in the famous 6-1).

That day, Jordi Alba put on a "carita", which is how a footballer's disgusted grimace is defined in the locker room when the coach does not order him to play.

That "little face" cost him to lose prominence from that moment until the end of the season.

The relationship became very tense and, when Luis Enrique left, in June, Alba said that "with Valverde, with little, I will do better."

Luis Enrique congratulates Jordi Alba after the match against Costa Rica.AFP

It happens that, just a year later, the Asturian made it to the national team, and of course, in the first two calls, with Jordi Alba making an extraordinary start to the season, he did not call him.

.

Since he arrived at Las Rozas, Luis Enrique's obsession - kindly encouraged by the president,

- was to open the locker room windows and 'clean up' the group.

In these circumstances he was not going to admit any "little face", and that is why Alba did not fit.

However, two months later, in November, and seeing that the performance was still very high, he called him to test if he was willing to change his attitude and integrate into a group without social classes.

"And Jordi learned not to make faces," says someone who has lived with the group for many years.

But that learning must have cost him, because after the absence of the coach between March 2019 and September 2020, at the beginning of his second stage he did not have him either, it is true that with some injuries through.

Alba returned in March 2021, in the summons prior to the Eurocup, and then yes, Alba accepted that times had changed and began to immerse himself, like all veterans, starting with the captain,

, in

.

In this selection, a "face" penalizes more than a gross mistake in a match.

Under these rules Alba has resurfaced.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• football

• Spain Soccer Team

• Jordi Alba

• Luis Enrique