Will these Barcelona and Atlético stars be vital for Spain’s Euro 2016 hopes?

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Gerard Piqué – Barcelona

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One of the biggest names in the squad, the Catalan has been loudly booed and jeered in his appearances for Spain over the last year or so. His performances have continued for club side Barcelona, with increasingly mature and classy displays dominating the back-line against some of the world’s best strikers, but it is his politics which have warranted the attention.

His views on Catalan independence haven’t helped garner support, which means that his improvements since the retirement of Carles Puyol have often gone unnoticed on the international stage.

Now with 76 caps to his name, Pique will be one of the leaders of the side in France, and will have to be at his best. With Del Bosque expected to start the tournament with a past-his-best Iker Casillas, leaving David de Gea on the bench, a lot of Spain’s chances could depend on Pique and Sergio Ramos ensuring that they remain tight at the back and do not concede many goals.

In 2014 in Rio, the reigning champions conceded five against Holland and two against Chile, and not repeating these mistakes of conceding so heavily will be one of their top priorities.