Schuster: ‘I can’t believe it’

It didn’t take long for some controversy to brew about Luis Aragones’ provisional World Cup squad.

Getafe coach Bernd Schuster is upset that Mariano Pernia has been omitted from Aragones’ World Cup squad, especially Schuster says, “given Spain’s lack of a good left-back.”

At the risk of alienating my dear friend Luis, allow me to take Bernd’s side here. Pernia is, without a doubt, a better left back than Lopez or del Horno. Is it the fact that Pernia is not a true Spaniard? Can’t be, because Luis took Brazilian Marcos Senna in his squad. Did Aragones make some sort of promise to the 33 players at last month’s get-together in Madrid? Pernia obtained Spanish nationality after this meeting and was not eligible for Spain’s national team until last week.

Regardless, this is a shame.

EDIT: I missed this report, in which Schuster offers up an even more interesting take about Aragones selecting Del Horno over Pernia:

“All Del Horno has done this year is kick Barcelona’s Lionel Messi in the Champions League.”