Del Bosque denies Madrid-Barcelona rift in Spain squad

The 64-year-old has responded to reports several of his players are not on good terms, while hitting out at fans who booed Gerard Pique in training

Vicente Del Bosque has rejected suggestions of a divide between Real Madrid and Barcelona players in the Spain squad.

After Barcelona won the treble, Gerard Pique poked fun at Madrid during their title celebrations, resulting in rumours he had upset several of his international team-mates.

The centre-back was subsequently booed by Spain fans during a training session ahead of Thursday’s friendly against Costa Rica, but Del Bosque played down claims of unrest.

“They [the whistles] have not been that loud and there is a great incitement of anger in some media that unnerves me and puts me in a bad mood,” the Spain coach told reporters.

“There is no more convenient target than a Catalan player. I have not talked to the players about this because they are all adults and know how to handle it. But I know that deep down, some are hurt by the reception they get playing for Spain.

“In any case, we have worked well together for eight days and the behaviour of everybody here has been exemplary.”

Pique has previously been targeted by Spain fans after revealing his support for Catalan independence.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *