The European football championships, or Euros, are upon us and once again the Spanish national side is turning heads with its free-flowing football compared to the turgid, guileless fare offered by some other countries, such as England for example. Now, I’m well aware that many Catalans have little or no interest in the Spanish national team, favouring the idea of a Catalan national side, but, although fewer than in the past, La Roja does have some Catalan components, including Marc Cucurella (Alella), Lamine Yamal (Esplugues de Llobregat) and David Raya (Barcelona), as well as Barça players in Ferran Torres (born near València), Fermin Lopez (Huelva) and Pedri (the Canary Islands). As a side note, Albania’s right back, Iván Balliu, is from Caldes de Malavella, where his father is a pro-independence mayor and supporter of Carles Puigdemont.........

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