Euro 2012: Barcelona FC' s David Villa ruled out of Spanish national team

Posted Thursday, May 24, 2012 by telegraphindia.com

(REUTERS)Madrid: Barcelona striker David Villa ruled himself out of the running for a place in Spain’s squad for Euro 2012 on Tuesday after failing to fully recover from a broken leg.

Euro 2012: Barcelona FC' s David Villa ruled out of Spanish national team Villa, Spain’s all-time leading goal scorer, broke his left leg while competing in the Club World Cup with Barca in December, and has not played a competitive match since then. “I tried right to the end but I wasn’t able to get 100 percent fit for the Euros,” Villa twitted. “Today I called the coach to tell him. It was the most honest thing to do. Thanks to all of you for your support.”

“After failing to achieve the desired progress in recent training sessions, Villa spoke with Del Bosque,” the Spanish football federation (RFEF) said. “(He) told him although he would like to be with the team in Poland and Ukraine, his physical state ‘isn’t the best’ for a competition like the Euros.”

Villa has scored 51 goals in 82 national team appearances for Spain helping them victory at Euro 2008 and in the World Cup finals in 2010. As the news broke out, wishes for Villa started pouring in on Twitter from his Spanish teammates.

Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas wrote: “Keep your spirits up, you are a star. You have been and will continue being the best goal-scorer in the national team.” Chelsea winger Juan Mata wrote: “You have proved again you are an example, we will miss you a lot. You will soon be back scoring goals.”

Barca’s doctors had already said he would not make the King’s Cup final on Friday, when Pep Guardiola’s side takes on Athletic Bilbao.

Del Bosque named a provisional squad for Euro 2012 last week which included many fringe players. He added Chelsea duo Fernando Torres and Mata on Monday after they helped their side win the Champions League final.

Del Bosque delayed naming any Barca and Bilbao players until after the Cup final. He set May 27 as his deadline for deciding his final 23-man squad, when attention will focus in particular on their forward line without Villa.