Fernando Torres should be absolutely embarrassed of himself.
He was not selected for next week’s exhibition against Venezuela. It is the first time he’s been left off Spain’s roster by manager Vicente del Bosque since 2006. He’s been a first-team regular since 2004.
The manager claims “…this doesn’t mean anything. This is not a definitive list for Euro.” But this is obviously not a happy day for the striker.
Perhaps the most shocking aspect of his omission is that Spain’s oft-starting frontman, David Villa, has been sidelined since mid-December with a broken leg. Even with Villa’s absence, del Bosque couldn’t find a spot for him on the roster.
While the boss is quite right, it is not a given that Torres will be left off the squad that defends their Euro title, it’s yet another step in the wrong direction. Torres scored the winning goal for Spain at Euro 2008.
Despite being one of the best players in the world just a few short years ago, Fernando Torres’ career has been hampered by injuries since before the World Cup in 2010.
He has never fully regained his form for club or country, and
