Former Spain captain Alvaro Morata has revealed details of a phone conversation he had with coach Luis de la Fuente, during which he was told that he would not be going to the World Cup. The veteran forward was a key part of the Euro 2024 winning team, but was not included in the squad for the trip to the United States.
Morata was highly regarded by his team-mates during and after the Euros, and was a consistent starter. But over the past 18 months, he has been out of the news, with indifferent performances against 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 national disappointment at not taking part in the Spain squad, as was Dani Carvajal, another key member of the Euro squad.
Morata reveals details of World Cup call-up
In an interview with Diario AS, Morata revealed details of his conversation with de la Fuente and explained that he had expected it to happen.
“Luis (de la Fuente) called me and I said to him, ‘Mr. . Of course I know that this is my last chance to play in the World Cup and that Spain can definitely win. But hey, it’s not a bed of roses. And I know that I’ve improved in terms of being more mature and handling things.”
“Of course I want to go. I’ll support you. There were some really difficult times with the national team, but at the same time, football is what I love most. It’s a shame that we missed out on Fernando (Torres) by one goal. The national team is a reward when you’re having fun, when you’re doing well with your club. I have to enjoy myself again. I hope that I can return to the national team someday.”
Morata and Mourinho
Morata made his first-team debut with Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, but Morata returned to the Santiago Bernabéu with doubts over his chances of success. However, the 33-year-old had only positive things to say about the Portuguese coach.
“He’s a phenomenon. You can’t imagine how funny he is up close. Every time I see him, I laugh a lot with him. He has a great balance between being an incredible motivator and being a great team manager. No matter where he is, he’s always winning or close to it. And I think he’ll do very well at Real Madrid, where you always need to win.”
