Vicente del Bosque has been forced to keep a closer eye on Serie A than past Spain tacticians. It hasn’t exactly been a breeding ground for successful Spaniards in the past and while Raul Albiol’s selection carried little doubt, two Italian-based players saw fine starts to the season rewarded with maiden calls to the squad which faces Belarus and Germany.
Napoli’s Jose Callejon has been in golden form, while Alvaro Morata has shaken off a pre-season injury to show his talent at Juventus. But as the former Real Madrid player returns to his homeland this week there’s still no room in del Bosque’s squad for Fernando Llorente.
It continues a year out of international football for the World and European champion. Llorente’s name usually topped the list of notable Spanish absentees last season, especially after overcoming a slow start to score 18 times for the Scudetto-winning Bianconeri. And with Diego Costa established as Spain’s number one attacker a recall is harder to obtain.
“I cannot get into a focus on Llorente or anyone else. It is a matter of confidence, we are calling up those who we believe are the best,” Del Bosque said in choosing his squad for the October qualifiers. On his latest selection he stressed that point – “we need players who are confident in front of goal.”
But this time there’s no Costa. He remains in England following recent injury concerns and still Llorente was overlooked. In September he spoke of wanting to make a return and while on Sunday stating he would “take this opportunity [international break] to rest and only think about Juventus”, his goal is to return to the national fold. “I would love to be with the national team but ultimately it’s the Coach that makes the decisions.”
For Llorente it’s a bitter pill to swallow. In recent weeks El Rey Leon has rediscovered his scoring touch after only opening account in Round 8. Beforehand he mixed hard-working performances with anonymous ones. His appearance from the bench was the catalyst for Juve’s comeback triumph against Olympiacos last week and back in the starting line-up he netted twice versus Parma on the weekend, both goals well taken. It was too late for del Bosque, but the more he scores the more he stays in contention.
Not that the Coach is overlooking Turin entirely, as Morata’s purple patch has been rewarded. “Speechless… Just one thought: to give my all for my dream to come true and especially to enjoy it! Ecstatic!” was Morata’s response.
He netted his first Juve goal in late September and proved his worth with impressive bursts from the bench. As Llorente struggled for goals Morata was chomping at the bit for a starting role, something noticed by the Furia Roja staff. “Morata is playing more minutes at Juventus and he’s closing the door on Fernando Llorente. He can do the same with the national team,” Spain assistant Coach Toni Grande said last month.
Despite the competition there’s admiration between the pair, with Llorente stating on Monday: “I see him doing very well, adapting quickly to Serie A, which isn’t easy. I think there is a lot of worth in what he is doing. He is a great player and is working hard.” Morata added to his tally with a fine strike against Empoli and although returning to the bench on Sunday, he netted twice in a 19 minute cameo, symbolically replacing Llorente.
Regardless of his goals in 2014, del Bosque has resisted the urge to recall Llorente, whose style is not a fit for his team. Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri calls Llorente a ‘reference point’ and his best work has come with his back to goal where he can bring others into the game and get into the penalty area.
Morata’s strength is with the ball at his feet running at defenders and in his finishing. The 22-year-old also has pace to go past opponents and can run into space to open up a defence, complimenting the creativity in Spain’s midfield. His style is more in vogue with the Spanish mould than his Juventus compatriot.
Llorente’s obligation is to prove his confidence by continuing to score. He can offer an alternative for Spain, but right now del Bosque sees the future in a youngster making his mark in Turin.
