'Dropping Ramos was the hardest decision'

Coach Luis de la Fuente admitted that not calling up Sergio Ramos was the most difficult decision he has made since taking charge of the Spanish national team.

Sergio Ramos may miss the chance to play in the 2026 World Cup.

Luis de la Fuente is preparing to announce Spain's World Cup squad next week. But ahead of that crucial moment, the most attention-grabbing thing is the 64-year-old strategist's emotional sharing about Sergio Ramos.

"The hardest decision since I became Spain's national team coach was not calling up Sergio Ramos," De la Fuente said on the program "Mario's Journey".

That statement highlights Ramos's extraordinary influence on the history of Spanish football. Even though the veteran defender is no longer part of the current plans, his shadow still hangs over the national team as a symbol of a golden era.

De la Fuente didn't go into detail about the technical reasons, but mentioning Ramos by name right before finalizing the World Cup squad shows he understood the immense pressure of that decision.

The strategist born in 1961 also revealed that the World Cup squad is basically complete and may include some new faces who have never been called up before. "The group of players has been decided. There is a possibility that some players who have never been called up to the national team will be included," he shared.

Ramos is not past his prime yet.

De la Fuente also confirmed that Spain will only bring three goalkeepers to the World Cup instead of four as many had speculated. When asked if he had decided on the starting goalkeeper, the Spanish national team coach confidently replied: "Yes. I can even say the starting lineup."

Besides the personnel issues, De la Fuente also attracted attention for expressing dissatisfaction with the way La Liga clubs allow many top players to play abroad.

"I'm very upset that players like Fabian Ruiz, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino are no longer playing in La Liga. When they were reasonably priced, nobody signed them. Then people spend huge sums of money on players who aren't as good," he said.

In addition, De la Fuente had high praise for Gavi, who has made a strong comeback after two serious injuries. “We didn’t give Gavi anything for free. He earned it through his own efforts,” the Spanish national team coach affirmed.

De la Fuente also recalled the most difficult period of his career, when he was unemployed for 18 months before joining the Spanish Football Federation. From a coach who was almost forgotten, he is now preparing to lead "La Roja" into the World Cup with very high expectations.

And despite the pressure, De la Fuente insists he never considered leaving the team if they won the World Cup. "No, absolutely not. I never thought about that," he stressed.

Source: https://znews.vn/loai-ramos-la-quyet-dinh-kho-khan-nhat-post1652963.html