Luis Enrique Martínez returns to look at the Camp Nou for his final call for the World Cup in Qatar. The coach has a defined base in his team with players from Barcelona, which is the majority club. Seven of the 26 elected are under the command of Xavi Hernández. There are Barcelona players in all the lines except in the goal. They are Alba, Eric Garcia (defenders), Busquets, Gavi, Pedri (midfielders) and Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati (forwards).
The coach, who was coach of Barcelona between 2014 and 2017, assures that he does not pay attention to the origin of the footballers. The second most represented team is Atlético de Madrid, which contributes three men (Koke, Marcos Llorente and Morata).
Further still from the Barcelona block is Real Madrid, with two World Cup players with Spain, who will be Carvajal and Marco Asensio. At the same level as the white club are Athletic Club, Valencia, Villarreal, City and PSG. On the other hand, despite its great moment, Real Sociedad will not have representation.
Of the 26 chosen, ten play outside the Spanish League, including goalkeepers Robert Sánchez (Brighton) and Raya (Brentford), defender Azpilicueta (Chelsea) and striker Dani Olmo, from German Leipzig.
In four years and a few months, the tables have turned. Well, in 2018, Lopetegui –although he later did not manage in the World Cup- made a list with six Madrid players for four from Barça. Spain was eliminated in the round of 16.
In Del Bosque's triumphant team in South Africa he had a solid base from the two big teams in the League. Among the 2010 world champions were seven players from Barcelona (plus Villa, who had signed but still belonged to Valencia) and another five from Madrid. That is, more than half of the 23 summoned.
But neither Qatar nor South Africa was the record number of Barcelona players in the Spanish team. Javier Clemente took eight to France. But it is that four years earlier, the Barakaldo coach summoned nine of the members of Cruyff's dream team.
