Xavi may no longer be the coach of Barcelona, but it is safe to say that he has left a legacy that will be remembered for decades to come.
The latest call-up of the Spanish National Team for the Euros confirms the same.
Apart from Pedri and Ferran Torres, who have been mainstays for La Roja for a while now, Luis de La Fuente called up three players who Xavi gave debuts at the highest level – Fermin Lopez, Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal.
The final list is yet to be published, but one assumes all three players will make the cut and travel to Germany with the squad. In fact, the likes of Yamal and Cubarsi could even start on the biggest stage.
The Olympic plan
While the European Championships kick off in June, Spain face a dilemma over their selection for the Olympic games which start ten days after the Euro finale.
As revealed by SPORT, the RFEF count on two Barcelona youngsters to make the squad for both tournaments – Cubarsi and Lopez.
Unlike Yamal who will be a bonafide starter in the European Championships, the duo are not expected to have as much prominence in Germany and could thus serve as the protagonists for the tournament in Paris.
Needless to say, a lot will depend on how many minutes they play in the tournament next month.
Yamal, meanwhile, could be rested for the Olympics if he indeed starts regularly in the preceding tournament. At 16 years of age, managing his minutes is of paramount importance.
A change in format
The same report furthers that the upcoming quadrennial event in France is expected to feature a change in rules when compared to previous iterations.
Until the last Olympics, teams were only allowed to keep 18 players in the loop with four replacements allowed to enter the dynamics only if there was a serious injury.
This year, however, teams are likely to be able to call up 22 players. Of them, 18 can be picked at random for any game while the remaining four cannot be used as substitutes for the game in question.
If indeed Cubarsi and Lopez are to play in the Olympics, they will miss the beginning of next season for the club. Their fitness, needless to say, will be Barcelona’s primary concern.
