Spain open as European kings with poor draw in Serbia

Serbia defender Kosta Nedeljkovic (L), Spain midfielder Nico Williams (C) and Serbia midfielder Kristijan Belic fight for the ball during the UEFA Nations League Group A4 football match between Serbia and Spain at the Rajko-Mitic stadium in Belgrade on 5 September 2024 - PHOTO/Andrej ISAKOVIC/AFP

José Toril

06 de septiembre de 2024 (10:29 h.)

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Little football at the small Maracana in Belgrade

They barely had time to say goodbye. A quick goodbye, a WhatsApp or a family storm in the making. Spain's players went on holiday from Madrid after celebrating the European Championship title. For Cucurella the beach, paella and his russet curls awaited him on a bet, for Fermin a gold in Paris and for Morata another chapter in his love-hate relationship with football in a pilgrimage to Milan after an unexpected divorce that shook Spain.

That the European champions' return is in the Nations League should be a reward, but nothing in football is normal at this stage. The umpteenth training camp with the league having started, four matchdays of which we can hardly remember anything and players who headed to Belgrade and then to Geneva to face Switzerland.

Barely 30,000 Serbs in a desolate stadium, at least on television. No sign of the 53,000 who make the stadium a living hell. Perhaps a bigger crowd is expected in Geneva, but then we will already be thinking about the next round of the league rather than the three points. And that nobody gets injured, because with Fermín's relapse, Spanish football already has enough to deal with.

There was little to report from the match. That Spain returned to the lacklustre yellow that Adidas has given them and which, luckily, they only wore once in the European Championship and that De la Fuente awarded almost everyone he could because those he didn't field were injured, such as Unai Simón and Morata.

Serbia defender Nikola Milenkovic (C-L) reacts in pain next to Spain striker Dani Olmo (C-R) as Serbia midfielder Kristijan Belic (R) reacts during the UEFA Nations League Group A4 football match between Serbia and Spain at the Rajko-Mitic stadium in Belgrade on September 5, 2024 - PHOTO/Andrej ISAKOVIC/AFP

Raya has made goalkeeping difficult for the Basque goalkeeper, but Ayoze doesn't look like he's going to knock Morata out, although the Madrid native doesn't need any more competition than himself and the pressure he puts himself under. Olmo led the midfield and Yamal and Williams attacked the flanks. But Serbia is not France, nor Germany, nor England.

Goalkeeper Rajkovic and striker Jovic were the only faces familiar to the Spaniards from their presence in Spain, but there was little else to see in a team in the midst of a composition phase and in search of players to prove their potential in the big European leagues.

Spain can do no more in these matches. It is impossible to motivate a group that has a lot at stake in the league with their teams and who know that the good things with La Roja will come in March with the quarter-final crosses, just when they are playing in the league with their teams. After that will come the final four and, without getting off the plane, a Club World Cup for Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid who can take their players to 70 games. If any survive the inhuman beating.

In October, Spain visits Denmark and Serbia, another break. In November, a visit to Denmark and a visit to Switzerland. On 7 June, the most eagerly awaited match of the year, the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. Play the game, because football does not stop.