Spain's Marc Bartra still coming to terms with missing out on the World Cup

Marc Bartra, one of the most affected players by Julen Lopetegui's call-up, is still struggling to accept that he won't be at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Betis defender revealed on Thursday that he had even been in contact with the coach of the Spanish national team just before the official announcement of the squad.

"A few hours before the World Cup list was announced, I had a conversation with Lopetegui. It's not easy to accept it at the moment, but we have to respect the decision; the best is yet to come," confessed the 27-year-old center back in an interview with Bein Sports.

He added: "I gave everything and sacrificed a lot to be in the World Cup. Even though I couldn't make it, the sacrifice has made me happier on the field and a better player."

It's worth recalling that Bartra left Borussia Dortmund at the beginning of the year and signed with Betis, precisely to be closer to the environment of the Spanish national team, although he ultimately failed to make it into the final list of 23 players.

The defender was a regular call-up in the era of Vicente del Bosque, even when he didn't have much continuity at Barcelona. He played in the 2016 Euro Cup, but the emergence of Chelsea's center back Cesar Azpilicueta ended up leaving Bartra out of the World Cup.