An overview of La Rojita’s adventure in Romania and Georgia, venues for the continental championship.
How will the Spain Under-21 team do in the European category? Santi Denia, coach of La Rojita, will try to get as far as possible in the continental tournament, the tournament that the Spaniards have already won five times, together with Italy the country with the most titles in the competition.
DIRECTLY | Follow the Spain Sub-21 vs. Ukraine Sub-21, European Championship semi-finals
Who is Santi Denia, the new Spain Under-21 coach
Spain Schedules and Sides in the 2023 European Sub-21:
The Spain national team is in Group B of the 2023 European Under-21 Championship, sharing its area with Romania (locally), Ukraine and Croatia. Their schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, June 21
Romania 0-3 Spain (20:45, Steaua Stadium, Bucharest)
Saturday June 24
Spain 1-0 Croatia (20:45, Giulești Stadium, Bucharest)
Tuesday June 27
Spain 2-2 Ukraine (20:45, Giulești Stadium, Bucharest)
Saturday July 1
Spain 2-1 Switzerland (Giulesti Stadium, Bucharest)
Wednesday July 5
Spain 5-1 Ukraine (semi-final, 9pm, Steaua Stadium, Bucharest)
Saturday July 8
England v Spain (18:00, Batumi Arena, Batumi)
Spain Under-21 ranking in Euro 2023
Coaching staff of the Spanish national team in the 2023 European Under-21 Championship
After the departure of Luis Enrique from the Spanish national team, there was a succession of promotions in the RFEF. Luis de la Fuente took the reins and released the Under-21, and Santi Denia has become the new resident of that position after promoting himself from the Under-19. The coach from Albacete will lead La Rojita in the European Under-21 Championship which starts in June 2023.
Before joining the bench, he was a professional footballer (defense) for 15 years, all of which played between two teams: Albacete Balompié, his home club; and Atlético de Madrid. He made his debut for the La Mancha team in the 1992–93 season with Julián Rubio in the First Division.
His performance was so high that he joined the mattress team in the 1994-1995 academic year, where he played eleven seasons. He experienced all kinds of moments; from relegation to the Second Division to the historic double. In the 2005–06 academic year, he returned to the Albacete team, eventually retiring in July 2007.
He was also an international with the absolute Spanish national team, culminating in his time at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. As a coach, his first job was in the sports management of Atlético de Madrid, where he would later become second coach to Abel Resino in 2009. , and in addition he led the rojiblancos once as an interim: against Mallorca with a draw to one.
The following year in 2010, he started working for the RFEF and took command of the Spain Under-17 national team. He held his position until 2018 when he moved to the U-19 where he spent five years before being chosen as the new U-21 coach.
List of Spain in the 2023 European Sub-21:
These are the 23 footballers that make up Santi Denia’s roster (the discards from the pre-list were Alejandro Francés, Miguel Gutiérrez, Nico González and Juanmi Latasa).
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