Iñigo Martínez: when Spain ceases to be a priority

BarcelonaUnaware of the moral blow that was the 2-0 scored by Alexander Sorloth in the seventieth minute of the match the last Atlético de Madrid - Barça, Iñigo Martínez made his way into the opposition half with great difficulty. Convinced that his team—which, despite trailing, had created plenty of opportunities to beat Jan Oblak—could turn the score around in just twenty minutes, he eagerly asked his teammates for support and handed them the ball. But none of them offered him a better solution than what he would end up doing: a precise cross for Robert Lewandowski, a man in the box, to initiate the comeback. The play could have been worth a championship. By that point, Iñigo was already feeling discomfort in his right knee. However, he completed the full ninety minutes and—most importantly—celebrated a 4-2 victory that brings him closer to winning his first league title after almost fifteen years of competing in it.

In the Metropolitano locker room, the Ondarroa defender reported the joint problems, which after the relevant medical examinations were diagnosed as internal parameniscitis, an inflammation of the tissues surrounding the meniscus. Nothing major, but enough for Spain's national team coach, Luis de la Fuente, to have to withdraw him from the Nations League quarterfinals against the Netherlands. Hours after his withdrawal was officially confirmed, Some media cited federal sources to explain that from within the national team it was suspected that behind this small injury there was, in reality, an alleged lack of motivation of the Biscayan player to go with the red, which he had claimed after many months of not taking it into account.

The rumor reached the Spanish team's locker room, and Unai Simón, who was in charge of addressing the press on Tuesday, was quick to refute it. "I think it's wrong to doubt a player like Iñigo Martínez. If Barça has issued a statement saying he's injured, it's disrespectful to ignore it. I'm sure Iñigo really wanted to come here and couldn't because of his injury," the former Athletic Club goalkeeper stated. Sources within the club confirmed to ARA that the injury is ongoing and emphasized that Iñigo will not only be unable to play for Spain these days, but will also almost certainly miss the postponed match against Osasuna—initially on Thursday, March 27—and possibly Girona's visit to Montjuïc scheduled for next Sunday.

The theory of an invention, fueled by some quarters in the Spanish capital, is flawed by the fact that the injury in question will keep him out of at least one of the next two league matches. Furthermore, Sant Joan Despí also reminds us that Iñigo underwent meniscus surgery in 2012, when he played for Real Sociedad, and that, therefore, parameniscitis must be treated with special care.

A call that speaks of a job well done

However, all this doesn't hide the fact that the Barça center-back, who will turn 34 in May and is in the final stretch of his career, is more downplaying than he was a while ago about an injury that prevents him from participating in a training camp with the senior national team. Those close to him say that what would have previously been a major disappointment is now simply a minor upset offset by two positive interpretations. The first is simple: having returned to De la Fuente's plans when he wasn't among those called up to win the last European Championship. Because despite not being able to compete against the Netherlands, Iñigo knows that, especially in his case, being called up to play for Spain is synonymous with having done his job very well this season.

The second positive interpretation is also quite obvious. He can disconnect with his wife and three children—the youngest of whom is a newborn—during his break and put himself in the hands of Barça's doctors and recovery staff to get his knee ready before beginning the final stretch of a campaign in which he has become indispensable to Hansi Flick. Renewed until 2026 thanks to his performance, he doesn't want injuries to keep him from the crucial weeks ahead. Increasingly loved by the Barça fans, Iñigo has stopped prioritizing Spain. But this doesn't mean he refuses to represent them more on the football pitch. Speaking Basque at home and tweeting in Catalan is not incompatible with aspiring to play in a World Cup at 35.