The cracks of FC Barcelona are old enough to be with La Rojita, but they are not on the list of Santi Denia.
The Spain Under-21 team is looking this week to win the sixth title in its history in the European category. La Rojita has good material to dream of winning another continental title and extending her record in this competition, but the challenge is huge. Of course, it would be less complex if the tournament was played by two young national football stars like Pedri and Gavi.
DIRECTLY | Follow the Spain Sub-21 vs. Ukraine Sub-21, European Championship semi-finals
European Under-21 Guide 2023: fixtures, results, calendar, classifications, groups, when and where it is, dates, venues, classified teams and how it works
Why don’t Pedri and Gavi play with the Spanish national team at the European Under-21 Championship in Romania and Georgia?
Born on November 25, 2002, FC Barcelona footballer Pedri González is just 20 years old and old enough to take part in the European Under-21 Championship which will take place in Romania and Georgia in the coming weeks.
Younger still is Gavi, another midfielder for the Barça squad who is old enough to play in the international championship. The man from Los Palacios was born on August 5, 2004 and is barely 18 years old, but he is also not in the squad of Santi Denia and will not be present at the European Under-21 Championship.
In this sense, the question many are asking is why Pedri and Gavi are not playing with the Spanish national team at the tournament in Romania and Georgia. And the answer has to do with his premature habitual presence in the Absolute Selection of La Roja. The two Barça players have been part of the Spanish national team since it was managed by Luis Enrique Martínez and they remain so now, with Luis de la Fuente at the helm.
It should be noted that it is not common for a footballer so entrenched in the Absolute ‘come down’ to play in minor categories, although Pedri did play the Tokyo 2021 Olympics (originally they were in 2020) with the Under-23 when he was already part of the Absolute.
After a very demanding season with Barcelona and Spain (both playing at the World Cup in Qatar halfway through the 2022-23 academic year), the two midfielders of the culé team have started their well-deserved holiday. Gavi has even come to play the UEFA Nations League Final Four until June 18, the final leg of the continental tournament that Pedri missed due to injury.
Squad list for the Spanish national team for the European Under-21 Championship: Who are mentioned by Santi Denia and which teams do they play for?
These are the 23 footballers that make up the list of Santi Denia.
keepers: Julen Agirrezabala (athletic), Leo Román (Mallorca), Arnau Tenas (FC Barcelona)
defenses: Arnau Martínez (Girona), Víctor Gómez (Braga), Hugo Guillamón (Valencia), Manu Sánchez (Osasuna), Juan Miranda (Betis), Jon Pacheco (Real Sociedad), Mario Gila (Lazio) and Aitor Paredes (Athletic Club).
midfielders: Antonio Blanco (Alavés), Gabri Veiga (Celta), Alejandro Baena (Villarreal), Oihan Sancet (Athletic Club), Aimar Oroz (Osasuna), Adrián Bernabé (Parma)
Forward: Ander Barrenetxea (Real Sociedad), Rodri Sánchez (Betis), Rodrigo Riquelme (Girona), Sergio Gómez (Manchester City), Sergio Camello (Rayo Vallecano) and Abel Ruiz (Braga).
Source: Goal