Former Spain captain Alvaro Morata has revealed the details of his call with Luis de la Fuente, where the manager told him that he was not going to the World Cup. The veteran forward was a key part of their Euro 2024-winning squad, but was not included for their trip to the United States.
Morata was spoken of highly by his teammates during and after the Euros, and was a starter throughout. Yet over the past 18 months has drifted out of the picture, following indifferent form with AC Milan, Galatasaray and this season Como. When he was left out of the Spain squad, there was little expectation that he would be included, even if there was some national disappointment that he, like another key component of the Euros contingent Dani Carvajal, would not be there.
Morata reveals details of World Cup call
Speaking in an interview of Diario AS, Morata has revealed details of his conversation with de la Fuente, explaining that he had expected it to be the case.
“Luis (De la Fuente) called me, and I told him, ‘Mister, obviously I knew. I’m not stupid.’ A couple of years ago, I would have been devastated, but now I understand that this is how it is. That I didn’t deserve to be in the World Cup squad. Obviously, you know it’s your last chance to play in a World Cup, and you know Spain can definitely win it. But hey, that’s life; it’s not a bed of roses. And I know I’ve improved in terms of handling things with maturity and experience.”
“Obviously, I’d like to go. I’ll be cheering them on. I’ve had some really tough times with the national team, but at the same time, it’s what I love most about football. I’m sad to have missed out on Fernando (Torres) by just one goal. The national team is a reward for when you’re enjoying yourself and when you excel at your club. I have to start enjoying myself again; hopefully, one day I can return to the national team.”
Morata on Mourinho
Morata made his senior debut for Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho, who has now returned to the Santiago Bernabeu, with doubts about his chances of success. The 33-year-old only had positives to say about the Portuguese manager though.
“He’s a phenomenon. Nobody can imagine how funny he is in person, up close. Every time I see him, I have a good laugh with him. He has a fantastic balance between being an incredible motivator and a great team manager. Wherever he’s been, he’s always won or come close. And at Real Madrid, where they always need to win, I think he’s going to do very well.”
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