Gerard Pique reportedly wanted to retire from international football after the World Cup but Spain Coach Vicente Del Bosque convinced him to stay on.
Spain went to Brazil 2014 as world champions but were dumped out at the group stage and Sport reports Pique was ready to quit La Roja as a result.
The Barcelona player allegedly felt scapegoated by the Press and the trainer having been dropped for the second game, against Chile, following the opening 5-1 reverse to the Netherlands.
Xavi Hernandez was also left out of the XI to play the South Americans but Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso kept their places, with a pro-Real Madrid bias suggested.
Pique and Cesc Fabregas declined to fly home with the rest of the squad, preferring instead to go to the United States, another symptom of the split in the camp, Sport claims.
The centre-back was also left out of the first post-World Cup squads, officially because he wasn’t fit, but Sport suggests the real reason was that Pique’s anger over the World Cup hadn’t dissipated.
He was though talked into continuing with Spain by Del Bosque, rather than following the lead of the older Xavi and Alonso and retiring.
Del Bosque is said to have a commitment from Pique to stay with Spain until at least Euro 2016, expected to be Del Bosque’s final tournament in charge.
