Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 9y

Isco laments Spain's failure to reach 2015 European U21 Championship

Isco has admitted that missing out on next summer's European Under-21 Championship is a setback for the latest generation of Spanish starlets.

Favourites Spain were beaten 2-1 by Serbia in Tuesday's playoff second leg in Huelva, after the first leg in Belgrade had finished 0-0 last Friday.

This means the Rojita under-21 side, which had gone 35 games unbeaten at this level while winning the last two European Championship titles, will miss out on next summer's finals in the Czech Republic and the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Isco, 22, told AS that it was hard to take that he and other talents including Athletic Bilbao's Iker Muniain and Barcelona's Sergi Roberto were ending their under-age international careers on such a low point.

"We are annoyed for the generation which has been here today," the Real Madrid playmaker said. "We have spent so many years together, since under-16 [level]. It is a pity that it ends like this. Football sometimes deals you these kind of blows."

In Tuesday's game Serbia went ahead early through an own goal by Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul, and although they dominated possession throughout, the equaliser only arrived on 90 minutes through a Sergi Roberto cross-shot.

With the visitors still progressing on away goals, Spain piled forward in injury time. A manic few seconds saw Barcelona's Munir El-Haddadi spurn a great chance for 2-1, only for Stuttgart youngster Filip Kostic to run clear at the other end and expertly seal progression for his country.

An inability to turn possession into goals, and conceding goals on the break, is something which Spain have also suffered at senior level. However, Isco said that for him the country's style of play must not change.

"After the equaliser we had a very clear chance, and then they scored the second on the break," he said.

"The ball just did not want to go in. They did very little, they took advantage of their few chances. [But] our style of play is non-negotiable."

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