As many of you probably know Catalonia has been trying to get in to UEFA for about 100 years citing their situation as similar to Wales and Scotland who have their own football teams, however, mostly for political reasons their bid has been rejected but even so the Catalonia national team has existed and competed in friendlies. So lets say Catalonia finally gets accepted in to UEFA. All of the Catalonian players capped by Spain are allowed off the Spain squad and in to the Catalonian squad. Spain has the likes of Sergio Ramos, Torres, Cassillas Catalonia has Fabregas, Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, Bojan, Valdez which would be the better international squad. I'd say Catalonia.
It wouldn't be very wise to cut the teams in half , together they are a powerfull force but apart they would just be two decent teams.
players like Bojan, Xavi, Victor Valdez have already played for Catalonia national team, it just isn't recognized by UEFA. Catalonia has played friendlies against such great nations as Argentina Brazil don't say it's never going to happen. It is already happened, the team just gets no fifa recognition so all the catalan players who are top quality play for Spain I have no doubt if Catalonia was allowed to have their national team compete in fifa competition and became a member of UEFA i really dont think any of the catalans on the Spain squad would opt to stay with Spain.
Supposing that, would be something like this?: Catalonia ------------------------ Víctor Valdés ------------------------- --------------- Carles Puyol ----- Gerard Piqué ----------------- -- Bruno Saltor ------------------------------- Joan Capdevila -- -------------------- Sergio ------ Xavi ------------------------ ----- Cesc Fábregas ---------------------- Andrés Iniesta ------ ------------------------ Sergio García ------------------------- ------------------------- Bojan Krkic -------------------------- Substitutes: Jordi Codina; Quique Álvarez, Alberto Lopo, Damiá, Fernando Navarro; Sergi Busquets, Joan Verdú, Luis García, Óscar Serrano, Albert Crusat; Albert Luque, Raúl Tamudo. Spain ------------------------ Íker Casillas -------------------------- --------------- Sergio Ramos ---- Raúl Albiol ------------------- -- Álvaro Arbeloa ----------------------------- Antonio López -- ---------------- Xabi Alonso ---- Marcos Senna ---------------- -- Santi Cazorla --------------------------------- David Silva -- ----------------- David Villa --- Fernando Torres --------------- Substitutes: José Manuel Reina; Carlos Marchena, Fernando Amorebieta, Andoni Iraola, Mariano Pernía; David Albelda, Pablo Hernández, Joaquín, Diego Capel, Albert Riera, Juan Mata; Fernando Llorente. The pack of the Catalonian midfield (Xavi, Fábregas and Iniesta) against the attacking pair of the Spanish eleven (Villa and Torres)... in spite three of the best midfielders would go with Catalonia, Spain would have yet Xabi Alonso, Senna, Cazorla and Silva to build... difficult to say, I think Spain have similar potential than Catalonian team in their starting eleven but better bench, so I'd go with Spain.
Yep, it won't happen. If it did then Spain as we know would be broken up into many different national teams as regional teams such as Euskadi would also have to be given recognition. Even the regions such as Andalucia and Valencia would be given national team status as well. It won't happen.
When Croatia split from Yugoslavia a little over a decade ago, they were spectacular, and it didn´t affect Yugoslavia much (though the subsequent splits killed them.) Don´t think it would happen though. If any region were to split, it would have been the Basque region long ago, and it still hasn´t happened yet.
Iniesta is not Catalan, he was born in Fuentealbilla which is a municipality in Albacete which is a province in central Spain. He is howevera FC Barcelona Youth Academy product.
^^^^ I am not going to quote this disrespectful and stereotypically pathetic try of ruin a genuine football discussion. While everyone here is trying to have a real discussion about hypothetical scenarios, you come here and insult Catalans and change the subject of this thread.... By the way, I don't think that this would ever happen, I love the Spanish National team just the way it is...
The discussion is not about poltics. It is not about whether this will happen. It is about whether Spain or Catalonia having a better squard. The discussion might as well as be North California vs South California, or Sao Paulo vs Rio. Back to the topic, I think it will be Spain. It will go down with whether Spain's defense and Catalonia's forward line. Spain's back four is weak(I think Sergio Ramos sucks as a CB), but Catalonia's forward is weaker. Bojan might find his way someday, but in 2009, he isn't ready. Spain can handle the attack. Catalonia has a better midfield, but Spain with Senna & Xabi Alonso isn't weak at all. I don't think Catalonia has a big advantage there. On the other hand, Torres, Villa and Silva will cause concern for Catalonia's back 4.
Oh, get off your high horse. It was a ridiculous response to a ridiculous thread - one can claim that it's apolitical all they want, but the very premise of it presupposes a political concept that quite a few people have very strong opinions about and therefore is not exactly good fodder if you feel like having a civil discussion. To claim that the idea of the thread is completely innocuous is both disingenuous and intellectually dishonest. Hell, it was politicized straight from the beginning.
Sorry fur the cuts but, as a voyeur in this case, looks like, although none is absolutely wrong, the middle approach (unconscious or not, which both mine can be as well) appears in the middle. In defense of the first could argue on imaginary lines being exciting as mental exercise; favouring the last might ask why Spain despite of Castilla y León.
I didn't know that so many Spanish NT players were of Basue, Catalan, and other ethnic minority decent.
If Catalonia does get independence, What will be the Catalonia national football team, How good will they be?
I wonder more how the Catalan League would look like. The current Catalan teams in the Spanish football league system. 1 tier Brcelona, Espanyol, Girona 2nd tier Gimnastic 3rd tier Sabadell, Badalona, Llagostera, L'Hospitalet
Here's some of the other top Catalan players in La Liga ... Aleix Vidal - Barcelona Gerard Deulofeu - Barcelona Andreu Fontas - Celta Vigo Sergi Gomez - Celta Vigo Gerard Moreno - Espanyol David Lopez - Espanyol Sergi Darder - Espanyol Jordi Amat - Real Betis Cristian Tello - Real Betis Martin Montoya - Valencia Victor Ruiz - Villarreal
Surely Iniesta (along with Cesc, Sergi and Busquets) would be in the midfield, not Xavi. The team sure isn't as strong as 5-7 years ago though.
I think someone said Iniesta isn't from Catalonia. Anyway, completing ignoring politics and real-life, I'd like to see Catalonia break away from Spain and form their own football NT. Both countries would be capable of winning cups I think at certain points in time and it would make the international landscape more interesting. Also, again completely ignoring real-life, I'd wish the following countries to get back together: 1. Yugoslavia Apart from Croatia, none of the former Yugoslavia teams are much good at all. 2. U.S.S.R None of the former Soviet states are really very good. Belarus, Ukraine and Russia are particularly disappointing. I read somewhere that the best U.S.S.R teams had a lot of Georgians in them. USSR/Soviet Union used to be a force. 3. Czechoslovakia Slovakia have been very disappointing, though at least the Czech Rep. have had a couple of good teams. I miss Czechoslovakia. 4. United Kingdom team I think a United Kingdom team would be more interesting and quite powerful at times, probably on the same level as Italy. 5.Ireland Being Irish, I know that both Ireland teams have had excellent footballers at differing stages down the years. The Republic Of Ireland have often failed at the last stage in qualifying, a lot of the time due to bad luck/poor refereeing. Northern Ireland produced George Best and were quite strong during the eighties. Both teams usually punch above their weight anyway. N. Ireland have qualified for 3 WC and 1 Euro, Rep. Ireland have qualified for 3 WC and 3 Euro. I think if they joined forces they'd be around the same level as Belgium, not today, but historically. Sorry to go a bit off-topic but I didn't want to start a new thread. I think international football is dying. The new 48 team WC is a disastrous idea just like the 24 team Euros.