• London Olympics 2012

Spain pick Alba and Mata for London 2012

ESPN staff
July 3, 2012
Jordi Alba was one of the stars of Euro 2012 © Getty Images
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Spain Olympic football coach Luis Milla has selected Euro 2012 winners Jordi Alba, Juan Mata and Javi Martinez in his squad for this summer's tournament in London.

Alba, 23, played every minute of every game in Poland and Ukraine, scoring two goals, including one in the final, as La Roja claimed their third successive international title.

The left-back is set to join Barcelona in a €14 million deal this week, though it is as yet unclear whether he will actually compete at the Olympics, with the Catalans likely to be desperate to avoid him playing in two major competitions in one summer.

Alba is joined by another goalscorer from the Euro 2012 final, though Chelsea winger Mata's only involvement in the entire tournament was a five-minute cameo in the Kiev showpiece.

Mata and Martinez are among Spain's over-23 players in the squad, with Atletico Madrid forward Adrian Lopez - who narrowly missed out on the Euro 2012 squad - completing the trio.

Milla's 22-man squad includes four members of the Athletic Bilbao side that reached the finals of the Europa League and Copa del Rey last season, with Iker Muniain, Ander Herrera and Mikel San Jose joining Martinez.

Those players have been called up for the friendly matches against Senegal (July 13) and Mexico (July 18) before the squad is reduced to 18 for the Olympic tournament, which starts at Old Trafford on July 26.

Spain squad for London Olympics:

Goalkeepers: David De Gea (Manchester United), Diego Marino (Villarreal), Joel Robles (Atletico Madrid)

Defenders: Jordi Alba (Valencia/Barcelona), Cesar Azpilicueta (Marseille), Alberto Botia (Sporting Gijon), Alvaro Dominguez (Borussia Monchengladbach), Inigo Martinez (Real Sociedad), Javi Martinez and Mikel San Jose (both Athletic Bilbao), Martin Montoya (Barcelona)

Midfielders: Thiago Alcantara and Cristian Tello (both Barcelona), Ander Herrera (Athletic Bilbao), Isco (Malaga), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Juan Mata and Oriol Romeu (both Chelsea)

Forwards: Adrian Lopez (Atletico Madrid), Iker Muniain (Athletic Bilbao), Rodrigo (Benfica), Alvaro Vazquez (Espanyol).

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