FIFA WC: Gavi's tackle to Man City star Rodgri rocks Spain training session
Chattanooga, June 7
Spain's preparations for the FIFA World Cup received a jolt, with Barcelona star Gavi hitting the veteran Manchester City midfielder Rodri with an aggressive tackle that left him on the turf with a lot of pain.
As per Goal.com, the Luis de la Fuente-managed side has run into trouble while fine-tuning their preparations in the US city of Chattanooga ahead of the FIFA World Cup opener against Cape Verde on June 15. But the chill, serene and fun preparations were shattered when Gavi produced a reckless tackle during a training session.
The Barcelona midfielder, known for his aggression and refusal to pull out of the possibility of duels, treated the training session with the same intensity as a World Cup match-up. A disaster struck as he mistimed a challenge for the ball, hitting his studs on Rodri's ankle.
The midfielder fell to the ground, clutching his leg in pain while his teammates looked at him with concern. With just over a week left for the campaign opener, Rodri being on the grass holding his ankle sent the coaching staff in shock, with the footballer looking back frustratingly at Gavi as the latter processed the impact of his glow.
Gavi, realising the severity of his tackle, apologised quickly and medical staff attended to the City star. While the images from the session appeared alarming, the midfielder managed to regain his footing and finished the session with a minor limp. The fears of him missing the tournament seem to have subsided by now.
There were some positive signs out of the training session as Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, both having struggled with injuries, continued doing their rehab, as per Cadena SER.
The duo participated in the early stages of the workout, including warm-up and rondos but were kept away from intense contract drills. It would be interesting to see if they play the campaign opener, having been out of action for over a month. Neither of these two is expected to play against Peru in Puebla, Mexico.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Training mein itna aggression? 😬 I mean, I get it's the World Cup prep but imagine if Rodri gets injured. India doesn't have this problem because we're always worried about our players getting hurt in training... oh wait, we don't even qualify! 😂
That tackle sounds reckless! Gavi is only 19 but he needs to learn control. In India we have enough injury problems in our own football scene due to rough tackles. Spain should be more careful in training sessions before such a big tournament.
Wow, that's intense! Good to hear Rodri finished the session though. You can't blame Gavi too much - he plays with heart. But I wish my country Canada had these problems instead of worrying about qualifying! 🇨🇦
Honestly, this is why Indian football needs to learn from these European teams even in training intensity. But bhai, risking your main midfielder in a practice session is not smart coaching. De la Fuente should set some ground rules for training drills.
These things happen in football. Gavi apologized immediately and Rodri is okay. People are overreacting - this is a contact sport! The real story should be about Yamal and Williams returning to fitness. That's good news for Spain.
A Ananya R < We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.