Fran González's controversy after playing 90 minutes vs Aston Villa

At the Cartuja Stadium, goalkeeper Fran González defended Sevilla's goal for the full 90 minutes of the friendly against Aston Villa, organized by Luis García Plaza's side in the Antonio Puerta trophy, despite having been withdrawn from the Sub'21 national team about four days earlier due to psoas discomfort.

Controversy over the Sub'21 call‑up

On Monday, the Spanish Federation removed González from the Sub'21 citing psoas discomfort. The report by Juan Pelegrín of SIRVENT MD confirmed the withdrawal and the stated cause. The decision raised questions when, barely four days later, on Friday he played the full 90 minutes against Aston Villa. According to the coach, the priority is to avoid any risk of injury.

David Gordo explained on Carrusel Deportivo: “These are very specific cases that we study, that we assess. If there is a risk of injury and a discomfort could worsen, we prefer it not to be with us. I stress, for us the players’ health is paramount and we never want anything to happen to them, but if something has to happen, then let it be outside our camps.”

Sevilla backs the goalkeeper after the friendly

Coach Sergio Escario recalled that in the squad there are always three goalkeepers of extraordinary level. “Fran had that discomfort and we decided that any of the others could play, as happened with Bruno, who played the full 90 minutes against San Marino at a very good level,” he said. He also emphasized that facing a Champions League opponent like Aston Villa will help him develop.

“Having played the full 90 minutes against a rival of that calibre will help him keep improving and show what a very good goalkeeper he is,” added Escario, satisfied with the performance.

David Gordo had cleared the Sevilla goalkeeper after he started the match against Finland, when the player returned to Sevilla because of the psoas issue. The swift recovery fueled the controversy over the national team’s management.

In another context, José Luis Artús commented: “It’s a pity for Mourinho that Barcelona is like this,” while he continued debating the Ballon d’Or.