Vicente del Bosque has suggested a lack of fitness is why Chelsea striker Diego Costa isn’t part of his provisional Euro 2016 squad.
Costa was one of the surprising omissions when Del Bosque named a 25-man party for the tournament, to be cut to 23, with Juan Mata and Paco Alcacer not included either.
“We’ve evaluated all situations. In principle, we don’t want to be burdened with players who aren’t in the best physical shape. There are two who are injured, Lucas Vazquez and David Silva,” Del Bosque explained, according to sefutbol.com.
“The only one I’ve spoken to is Sergio Asenjo, to know what his physical condition is. He told me he was happy, that for him [being on the reserve list] was a reward. I’m a little hurt, sad, for those who deserve to come but in the end couldn’t.
“If we had Santi Cazorla and Alcacer, we’d have had to leave out two others. They’ve made a tremendous effort to be here. [Cazorla] has been injured for five months but we didn’t think it was the best decision. When we call him, after an intense period, we trust him. We’re looking for people in the best condition.
“It hurts to leave out [Mario Gaspar] and Mata but we had to make decisions. When we have doubts, we think of what will be the most practical.
“We don’t have to decide [on who will play in goal] now. We have the squad but there is no commitment, no pre-conceived idea. Fernando Torres? He always had a chance. We considered what would be best.
“Every squad is complicated and difficult. I’ve been in this situation and I know how it feels to be left out. I always have that in mind when I name the squad.”
Del Bosque also acknowledged the involvement of Spanish clubs in the Europa League and Champions League Finals, and repeated his intention to step down after the Euros.
“You all know my intention. [The Spanish Football Federation] knows that I’ll be at their disposal for anything they need,” he added.
“We have three teams playing the finals of two competitions. That’s something extraordinary that we can enjoy. Not being able to have everyone until June 4 undermines the situation. There’s also the Copa del Rey Final, [and the players being involved in that] is a good sign.”
