Sergio Busquets, the last survivor of the golden age

MADRID, 16 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets has decided to end his international career with the Spanish team, just after bitterly experiencing his fourth World Cup in Qatar and closing 13 years of service where he has been indisputable, all as, with Sergio's permission Ramos, the only current survivor of the great golden era of the national team.

'Busi' was the '5' for all the coaches who have been on the bench for the national team since his international debut in 2009 and the last one, Luis Enrique Martínez, had no doubts either despite his 34 years of age. "There is no other pivot on the world scene better than him to play what we want to play," warned the Asturian in the preview of a World Cup that did not go as the Catalan would have liked.

His age already foreshadowed that he was facing his last chance to play in the World Cup and he will not even wait to extend his journey further until Euro 2024. Busquets has hardly had a rest since his debut in April 2009 against Turkey, at the age of 20 . Vicente del Bosque, like Pep Guardiola, saw something in the midfielder, which he did not hesitate to take to South Africa at the cost of 'sacrificing' a key player in Euro 2008 like Marcos Senna.

"If I were a player I would like to look like Busquets." That famous phrase from the man from Salamanca after the criticism received by the FC Barcelona footballer after the defeat against Switzerland in South Africa sums up the impact that the midfielder had from the start, who has since offered an excellent performance accompanied by Xabi Alonso.

With the man from Tolosa, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta and even David Silva formed a great midfield that would take the now criticized 'tiki taka' to its footballing zenith with the conquest of the world title and, two years later, the 2012 Euro Cup.

Little by little, the players of that team that amazed the world were stepping aside and it seemed that only Sergio Ramos and he would reach Qatar, but the one from Camas stopped counting last year and the blaugrana was already the only survivor of that historic appointment twelve years ago.

Only he and Jordi Alba, who was part of the team that closed the treble with the third European Championship in 2012, know what it is to win something with the national team, and waiting for what Luis de la Fuente decides with Sergio Ramos and the one from L'Hospitalet, another veteran, the 'Red' could be left without its symbols from its closest past.

Busquets, the first captain since the Euro Cup, played almost everything in Qatar to increase his international matches to 143, 97 of them resulting in victory and two goals, something in which he has never been a specialist, scored in his have, the third in the list of Spaniards with the most games behind Sergio Ramos (180) and Iker Casillas (167).

Able to handle the 'tempo' of the game and with the capacity and ability to think before executing to solve complex situations, 'Busi' is, anyway, a victim of the inexorable passage of time. His performance in Qatar was not outstanding, along the lines of what he is offering this season with Barça, and above all he has shown some suffering when the pace picks up.

But this section cannot tarnish the role of 'beacon' and guide for a team, which will now take over in the midfield position, with Rodri Hernández designated as heir despite his great performance as a central defender in recent games and the thriving Martín Zubimendi as another good option.