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Is Spain Boss Vicente del Bosque’s Job the Toughest in International Football?
- Updated: June 3, 2016
For most countries, 23 squad places are enough to provide national-team managers with every option, every trait they could possibly want during a major tournament. Some countries even struggle to fill that many spots with players of a suitable caliber. Not in Spain’s case, though. Manager Vicente del Bosque could do with double that number.
Indeed, no nation is stacked with as many top-class players as La Furia Roja right now. They could take a second-string side to this summer’s European Championship and still compete for the prize on offer at the Stade de France on July 10. That’s how deep and strong their talent pool is.
Spain have several options in every position, giving Del Bosque difficult decisions to make all over the pitch. In goal, he has to choose between David De Gea and Iker Casillas. In defence, he has Juanfran, Hector Bellerin and Cesar Azpilicueta to choose from at right-back, a decision that will be deliberated for some time to come following the injury suffered by Dani Carvajal in the Champions League final.
“We had taken the decision among the full-backs we’ve had recently, including Mario, [Cesar] Azpilicueta, Juanfran and Carvajal,” Del Bosque explained on El Larguero (h/t Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC) following the selection of Arsenal’s Bellerin. “Once Carvajal was injured we had the kids with us, and [Bellerin] has been doing very well at Arsenal in recent years. We have full confidence in him. Bellerin will be an important player for sure, in the present, and in the future of the Spanish team.”
Then, in midfield, there are even tougher decisions to be made, with Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Bruno, Cesc Fabregas, Koke and Thiago Alcantara all scrapping for midfield places. The formation the Spain boss opts for could decide just how many there are to be fought for.
And Del Bosque has the toughest call of the lot to make up front. With David Villa and Fernando Torres no longer a part of the setup, Spain find themselves in …
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