Fabian Ruiz excelled at EURO 2024 but what happens next for Spain’s hero?
Fabián Ruiz was one of the best players during EURO 2024 as he helped Spain lift the trophy for the third time in the 20th century. But as the regular football season gets set to return, there is a question to be asked about whether he can replicate those heroics at club level.
There was palpable surprise after the conclusion of the EURO 2024 final when Rodri was handed the official Player of the Tournament accolade. While the Manchester City man always brings value to the table, there was a feeling amongst a majority of fans that Fabián Ruiz should have won the award. He had played the entirety of the final – unlike Rodri, and had been impressive throughout the tournament.
The Paris Saint-Germain man was FotMob’s highest rated player in the tournament, as he scored twice and racked up as many assists. A goal and an assist came in Spain’s all-important tournament against Croatia that set the tone for the rest of the tournament. He bore responsibility against Georgia in the Round of 16, helping La Roja come back from a goal down to win 4-1.
Having said that, Fabián isn’t generally just about the goals and assists and his stints at PSG and Napoli show that he is more about conducting play, carrying the ball from deep, and helping his side construct attacks.
The 28-year-old created the fifth-most big chances in the tournament and was tied alongside Arda Güler and Dani Olmo.
He essentially operated as the connector between the midfield and the frontline, playing in an advanced role that wasn’t always synonymous with him during his Napoli stint. In a way, the positions that Fabián took up on the left were of a massive help to the mercurial Nico Williams, as the Athletic Bilbao man regularly used the numerical overloads to take opposition defenders on and beat them.
In the final against England though, a slightly different version of Fabián was witnessed. Generally, that is what he is known for – operating deeper. With Rodri taken off due to injury, the PSG man was often the deepest midfielder when Spain built from the back, as he exchanged positions with Martin Zubimendi in the heart of the park. And Fabián impressed in that role, helping in ball progression and showing what a multi-faceted midfielder he is.
That aspect of his playing style has generally been known to many since his time at Napoli, where he even played as a defensive midfielder in times of need and often played out wide, and as the attacking midfielder. But there was a constant feeling that he is a midfielder who can do everything quite well and his stint at PSG is perhaps a reflection of that.
Under compatriot Luis Enrique, Fabián has either played as the defensive midfielder or the central midfielder, with the Parisiens constantly shifting between a double pivot and a midfield three. More often than not, he has played on the right side of the midfield than the left, with Lee Kang-In‘s regular inclusion often forcing him to play deeper. Warren Zaire-Emery‘s emergence has impacted Fabián’s gametime and Vitinha continues to become a rising force for club and country.
As a result, Fabián could play only 21 times in Ligue 1 last season and towards the end of the campaign, he constantly found himself on the bench. In the 2022/23 season, he played 27 times and his exclusion was generally due to injury. But his game time seems to be reducing with every passing season and even though Manuel Ugarte could be on his way to Manchester United, it may not impact Fabián positively because of the potential arrival of João Neves at the club.
Reports have mentioned that Fabián could be seen as a sellable entity by Luis Campos (PSG’s sporting director) and his club and in a way, an exit might benefit the Spaniard.
At the back of the performances at the Euros, the 28-year-old deserves to play much more regularly and in a setup that suits him. Playing on the right – as he has last season, is a different kettle of fish for him and playing on the left always suits him much more, as he did in the summer. Zaïre-Emery too seems to prefer the left of the midfield and he would definitely come on leaps and bounds in the future, potentially endangering Fabián’s situation at the club.
A lot of it, perhaps, also comes down to the system Luis de la Fuente had in place and the element of directness that it had. Enrique’s system, on the other hand, is more insistent on keeping hold of the ball and numerical superiority in midfield.
Even at Napoli, Fabián never quite played in systems where his teams constantly sought to dominate possession. It was more about directness and playing quickly through the lines, which is something the ex-Real Betis man himself likes to do. And right after a major European tournament where he thrived in a similar role, it would be hugely beneficial for Fabián’s career if he does the same at club level.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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