It was Gavi's 27th appearance for Spain. He was credited by coach Luis de Fuente and was supposed to be part of the 1-3 win over Georgia in the Euro qualifiers. But in the 26th minute, at 1:1, he was suddenly seen stumbling on the grass, without being touched by any other player, and finally fell and grabbed one of his legs, groaning in pain. After brief treatment, he was helped by his team's staff to walk off the field with a ruptured cruciate ligament.
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This is a major blow to the national team, especially the Spanish champions Barcelona, as an initial examination indicates that the 19-year-old talent will be absent from the field for 6 to 8 months. That means he's done with the season and there's a good chance he'll miss the Euros in the summer of 2024, to which Spain already secured qualification in October.
"It's the most bitter win of my life," De La Fuente said after the game, going on the defensive: "It's an injury that could have happened to anyone. Gavi has the talent to always be fit. Great players never rest." The coach's comments came after he realised Barca were accusing him of putting too much strain on Gavi, who "didn't have to play an inconsequential game".
The truth is, of course, that it was misfortune, but now de la Fuente is facing a field trial. Barcelona made it clear that they would sue him and the Football Association, and on social media they did not feel sorry for the coach. "After you've finished Pedri, you've finished Gavi too," wrote one Barcelona fan, while another has already moved on to threats: "You'll pay for it." Other tweets already looked like a eulogy for Gavi's career, with one Spanish ace commentator writing in his column: "Now we'll have to wait at least a year before we see the real Gavi again." Watch the moment of injury.
Poor Gavi 🥺 wishing you quick recovery ❤️ 🩹 pic.twitter.com/TNqTd3Linr
— Ahmad 🎖️ (@SirGbolly_xvi) November 19, 2023
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