Del Bosque: Form over reputation

Vicente del Bosque has made it clear that he picks his Spain squad on form, not reputation, following Saturday's 2-0 victory over Slovakia in Euro 2016 qualifying.

The Coach has come under scrutiny for his apparent double standards in warning David de Gea that he must play regular football, despite Iker Casillas remaining La Roja's first-choice goalkeeper when he was dropped by Real Madrid last year.

“I find the boos directed at [Gerard] Pique regrettable. I don't understand them,” he said after the game.

“Fans should only attend matches to watch football and he played very well.

“Why do I play Cesc [Fabregas] and not [Santi] Cazorla, Isco or Koke? We have plenty of options and are happy with the level [the players are at].

“We knew they were going to be tight, but thanks to a goal from Jordi Alba we were more comfortable. We played well.

“Against a team like Slovakia, who like to drop deep, the most difficult position to play is centre forward. Diego [Costa] played well.

“[Slovakia] had their moments when the score was still 0-0, but they became gradually weaker once we scored.

“We don't think about the caps of each player but rather the form.”

Tags David De Gea Euro 2016 Iker Casillas Slovakia Spain Vicente Del Bosque
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