‘Are they planning to ruin Barcelona’: Spain’s national team stealing prospects, with more to come
The Spanish national team is demanding more from Barcelona’s youngsters.
The Spanish national team wants Pau Kovacic to play at the Euros and Olympics, according to Spain’s Marca.
This summer is a busy one for European players. On top of their preseason schedules, they’ll have Euro 2024 and the Olympics in Paris to contend with.
Already, major players from Europe’s big clubs are set to compete at Euro 2024 in addition to their preseason commitments, and some of them may even have to play through the Olympics, meaning they’ll have no rest until the start of the next season. Kylian Mbappe, among others, has been the subject of talks with his club.
One of the teams most dreading this grueling schedule is Barcelona. They’ve already lost players to international duty on several occasions, and they’re worried that the Spanish national team’s schedule could cost them another promising player.
‘Luis de la Fuente will reveal his Euro squad on Sunday,’ Marca reports. Kovacic is one of the players he wants. He has been in the Spain squad since the March A match and now has his sights set on the Euros. “Along with Ramin Yamal, Kubarsi also wants to play at the Euros and the Olympics,” said the coach.
“Barcelona have doubts about both players. They have already experienced problems with Pedri and Barcelona have stated that they do not favor their players playing in both competitions. The Spanish Football Federation said it will prioritize the wishes and best interests of the players. However, the senior national team is already planning to include Kubarsi in its Euro roster and has asked Barcelona to prepare the paperwork to participate in the Olympics.” Barcelona and the Spanish Football Federation have differing opinions, but the national team is ready to go ahead with the move.
Barcelona is understandably concerned. The club has already lost Pedri and Pablo Gabi to atrocities with the Spanish national team. Back in 2021, Pedri played 73 games for his club, plus the Euros and the Olympics. Since that overload, Pedri has suffered nine muscle injuries in the last three years, and has never played a full season.
In November 2023, Gabi was ruled out for the season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury after overworking himself with the Spanish national team. Barcelona have lost two of their key resources to overuse injuries and call-ups to the Spanish national team, so they’ll be especially sensitive to Yamal’s arrival this summer.
Even worse, Kovacic isn’t the only player the Spanish national team wants. The Spanish national team is also reportedly keen on Euro 2024 and the Olympics 사설토토 for Ramin Yamal, who is considered the future of Barcelona’s attack.
The 2007-born striker has been a revelation for Barcelona’s first team at a young age, breaking all sorts of records for the youngest player in history. Head coach Xavi Hernandez has also used the youngster in big games. His dribbling ability, speed, and finishing touch have already made him a favorite with the Spanish national team. Yamal first joined the Spain senior squad in September 2023 and has been a regular in the squad ever since, appearing in both of their A matches in March.
This season, Kubarsi and Yamal have already played 23 and 49 games for Barcelona, respectively. Considering their young age, there’s no telling what problems they’ll face next season if they don’t get a break during the off-season and instead play a grueling schedule leading up to the Euros and Olympics.
The tug-of-war between Barcelona and the Spanish national team over the call-up of the youngsters has begun. If Barcelona ends up backing down on this issue, it will be difficult to guarantee the health of their prospects next season.