La Roja rejects: Coral’s superb alternative Spain squad

Holly Thackeray | May 19, 2016

Wouldn’t it be nice to be Spain? To name a squad bursting to the brim with so much top talent that as coach you can leave out a handful of arguably deserving stars. Much more than a handful, in fact, but a team of La Roja surplus that could challenge at Euro 2016 itself.

There are more than a few notable absentees from Vicente del Bosque’s final picks for France, so Coral have come up with an alternative Spain XI from those left on the sidelines that we reckon could more than hold their own in continental competition. Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Formation: 4-4-1-1

Goalkeeper: Sergio Asenjo (Villarreal)

However, the 26-year-old Villarreal post protector will more than do for us, having worked his way back into Yellow Submarine contention recently with two clean sheets in four comeback La Liga appearances after unluckily suffering a cruciate injury.

Right back: Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)

Yet, the 21-year-old has a much higher ceiling than the Blues boy, at least in his capacity to stretch teams down the flank, so he seems a surprise omission after a superb season in which the still uncapped Gunner kept Calum Chambers out of the Arsenal line-up and saw Mathieu Debuchy shipped off on loan. Still, his time for Spain (9/2 with Coral to win Euro 2016) will surely come.