Real Madrid football captain Sergio Ramos has been left out of the Spain squad for Euro 2020.

The Spain captain and centre-back has 180 caps for his nation and featured in March this year but an injury-plagued season has limited him to just 15 Spanish league appearances and only five games in all competitions in 2021.

Spain’s head coach has justified his reason to leave out the captain by picking on his fitness levels.

“I’ve not included Ramos because he’s not been able to play much this season, especially since January he’s not been fit enough, and at times not even training with the group at his club,” Enrique, who named 24 players in the 26 spots available, told a news conference on Monday.

“It wasn’t easy, but I called him last night and we had a difficult and tough conversation. I feel bad as he’s a player who has always been at the top level and has a future with the national team. It’s a decision that I’ve taken for the good of the national team and the group as a whole.”

In a statement released on his Instagram page, Ramos said: “After a few tough months and an abnormal season to any I’ve had in my career, the Euro also joins that.

 

 

“I have fought and worked every day, in body and soul, to be able to reach 100% for Real Madrid and the national team but sometimes things don’t always work out the way we’d like.”

Ramos’ club teammate Dani Carvajal also missed out through injury, which means that there are no Real Madrid players in the squad, while there are just three Barcelona players and two from La Liga champions Atletico Madrid.

It is the first time that a Real Madrid player has not been included in a Spain squad for a major tournament.

Enrique said the list was drawn with the team’s best interests in mind.

“I don’t play these kinds of games when I do the squad and I don’t try to please anybody. I understand that everybody wants players from their club in the squad, except when they need to rest if they’re playing many games or whatever.”

Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte was included after FIFA approved his switch from France to Spain earlier this month.

Laporte, a defender, was born in France and called up three times for Les Blues but never took the field for the world champions.

There was a surprise recall for Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta, who won the last of his 25 caps way back in 2018.

Liverpool’s Thiago Alcantara and City’s Rodrigo have been included among the midfielders, alongside Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets and 18-year-old Pedri, Atletico Madrid’s Koke and Napoli’s Fabian Ruiz.

Wolves winger Adama Traore and Paris Saint Germain’s Pablo Sarabia were given surprise call-ups too, ahead of Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas who has been the second-highest Spanish goalscorer in La Liga this season.

Spain feature in a relatively less difficult Group E alongside Sweden, Poland and Slovakia and are aiming to improve after Last-16 exits at Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Here is Spain’s Euro 2020 squad.

Spain

Goalkeepers

  1. Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao, Spain)
  2. David de Gea (Manchester United, England)
  3. Robert Sanchez (Brighton & Hove Albion, England)

Defenders

  1. Pau Torres (Villarreal, Spain)
  2. Eric Garcia (Manchester City, England)
  3. Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City, England)
  4. Diego Llorente (Leeds United, England)
  5. Jordi Alba (Barcelona, Spain)
  6. Jose Luis Gaya (Valencia, Spain)
  7. Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea, England)
  8. Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid, Spain)

Midfielders

  1. Sergio Busquets (Barcelona, Spain)
  2. Rodrigo (Manchester City, England)
  3. Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool, England)
  4. Pedri (Barcelona, Spain)
  5. Koke (Atletico Madrid, Spain)
  6. Fabian Ruiz (Napoli, Italy)

Forwards

  1. Gerard Moreno (Villarreal, Spain)
  2. Ferran Torres (Manchester City, England)
  3. Adama Traore (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England)
  4. Alvaro Morata (Juventus, Italy)
  5. Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig, Germany)
  6. Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad, Spain)
  7. Pablo Sarabia (Paris Saint-Germain, France)