In the constant war of attrition between two of the biggest forces in Spanish football, it didn’t go unnoticed that Real Madrid have just one player in the under 21 and under 19 squads this international break.
The player in question is Antonio Blanco, who has been included in Carlo Ancelotti’s first-team squad but has so far seen very little action.
Speaking to Diario AS, under 21 manager Luis de la Fuente was asked exactly why so few were making it from ‘La Fabrica’. De la Fuente was blunt in his explanation.
“If you have ten foreign players playing, how can you select anyone? Between that and the fact that there is plenty to choose from outside of the big teams, it’s not easy to make it to the national team.”
Luis Enrique Martinez made headlines this past summer for not selecting a single Real Madrid player as part of his senior squad for the Euros. Asked whether Madrid could learn a little from the Basque clubs, de la Fuente had this to say.
“It excites me to see how they work in their academies. Now there are more clubs that bet on their academies because of the economic situation, but I hope that this dynamic continues during the boom times.”
Naturally, the contrast between Real Madrid and Barcelona was brought up and in particular, the work of Xavi.
“It’s exactly what I ask for year after year. Have confidence in these youngsters, they’re so good, give them continuity.”
