Barcelona has various stars within its ranks that also manage to excel for their national teams. However, the first step to being a dominant international presence is to receive the initial call-up. Until and unless the national team coach calls up a player for their services, their international dreams are unable to become a reality.
As such, several players, including even a few from Barcelona, fight for the coach’s attention. Performing at a high level consistently is key to completing that objective. One player in particular from Barcelona understands this better than most others, and that is 20-year-old Fermin Lopez.
Making the pre-list
The Spanish midfielder just recently had his first-ever taste of international football with his nation’s Under-21 side. However, it appears that even his senior appearance may not take much longer. Given the recent report, it seems that the Barcelona player is already in that conversation.
As highlighted by SPORT, Spanish NT coach Luis de la Fuente has included Lopez in his ‘pre-list’ for the upcoming European qualifiers. The games in question are against Cyprus and Georgia midway through the month of November.
Courteous gesture
While the ‘pre-list’ by no means indicates that a player’s selection will be finalized, it does act as a courtesy of sorts. National teams often send such pre-lists to the clubs of relevant players. This allows those sides to be given a heads-up just in case to let them know which players may end up being called up or not.
Basque defender gains attention
Additionally, Fermin Lopez is also accompanied by Inigo Martinez. Both players, given their excellent form, have a solid chance at featuring for de la Fuente. However, it seems that Martinez may actually end up getting the call due to his experience and proven quality. For Lopez, on the other hand, it seems that the Under-21 route is still open.
Yet, the fact itself that the young dynamic midfielder even made the list is remarkable. Given his current exploits with Barcelona, it seems to only be a matter of time. The young Spaniard himself just needs to continue focusing on his game and keep the noise around him to a minimum.
