next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 There will be lots of politics to talk about when Venezuela takes on a Catalonia squad in a friendly soccer game in Spain on Monday. Venezuela has a coach who offered his resignation over the alleged political use of his national team, while Catalonia — the region in the middle of an independence dispute with Spain — will be missing players because some non-Catalan teams didn't release them. Venezuela is coming off a convincing 3-1 win over Lionel Messi's Argentina on Friday, but what attracted most of the attention after the friendly was an announcement by Venezuela coach Rafael Dudamel. He offered his resignation because he was not happy with the politicization of a pre-game visit by a representative of Juan Guaido, the man challenging Nicolas Maduro's claim to the presidency in Venezuela. Dudamel and the rest of the squad had welcomed the visit but the coach apparently did not like that images were later released to the public. "Regrettably, they politicized the visit," Dudamel said. "The agreement was that if there was any image or video, it would have been used internally only. But they politicized the visit, and we can't allow that to happen. It was regrettable how they used it." Venezuela is in the middle of a power struggle since Maduro's re-election last year was deemed illegitimate by several governments. Dudamel said he will remain in charge of the squad on Monday, but his future will depend on talks with Venezuelan soccer federation officials in the coming days. Catalonia has also undergone political turmoil, peaking recently in 2017 with an independence referendum not recognized by Madrid. The issue divided Spain at the time and remains a hot topic politically. Although the region is not independent, Catalonia has often put together squads to play in friendly matches against other nations. Among the Catalan players expected to play on Monday are veterans Gerard Pique and Xavi Hernandez. Both have retired from the Spanish national team and are off-duty with their clubs because of the international break. Hernandez, a 39-year-old midfielder, currently plays in Qatar. The 32-year-old Pique, still a starter with Barcelona, decided to stop playing with Spain's national team after the 2018 World Cup in Russia. But other players initially selected for the squad were not released by their clubs, who said their decisions were not related to politics. Valladolid, which is fighting relegation from the top tier of the Spanish league, was the first team to keep its players from taking part in Monday's match, and Rayo Vallecano and Huesca — also threatened by relegation — later followed suit. "We understand the reasons why these clubs are not going to let their players play," Catalonia coach Gerard Lopez said. The match will be played in Girona, a Catalan city about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Barcelona. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports ___ Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni<doc-sep>Xavi unable to play for Catalonia against Venezuela Qatar Club duties will not allow him Former Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez will not be able to represent the Catalan national team in their friendly match against Venezuela. The Spanish World Cup and European Championship winner currently plies his trade in Qatar with Al Sadd and it is due to his commitments with his club that he will miss the match at Montilivi. Xavi has represented Catalonia 12 times but he has explained to his followers on social media why he will be absent against the South American nation. "I regret to announce that I will not be able to be at Montilivi for tomorrow's match between Catalonia and Venezuela, my commitments with my club have not allowed me," he began. "Thanks to the Catalan Football Federation and especially to President Soteras, Carles Domenech and Gerard Lopez for the interest in me being in Girona. "I hope that next time I can be there with you. In Qatar, I will be the first one cheering on our team, Visca Catalunya! ", Xavi wrote on Instagram. Al-Sadd are top of the Q-League and, next Saturday, face a crucial match against Al-Duhail Sports Club, who are second in the table.<doc-sep>Catalonia claim victory over Venezuela International Football Goals came from Bojan and Puado The crowd at Girona's Estadi Montilivi were given a show tonight as Catalonia managed to beat Venezuela 2-1 in a friendly. The South Americans were on a high after beating Lionel Messi's Argentina last Friday, but they struggled up against a deceptively strong Catalan side. Although Xavi Hernandez was unable to feature, the presence of Gerard Pique and the entrance of Barcelona prodigy Riqui Puig in the second half were key attributes towards the Catalans' victory. The first half finished goalless, but the hosts turned up the heat during the final 45 minutes. Stoke City forward Bojan Krkic struck the back of the net first and gave Catalonia the lead in the 53rd minute after some beautiful football in the midfield set him up for the goal. The joy was short-lived however as Venezuela equalised through Espanyol right-back Roberto Rosales just six minutes later as the few traveling fans erupted in cheers. It looked as though the game would be going towards a penalty shoot-out, but Espanyol forward Javi Puado struck in the 88th minute as he ultimately decided the match. Whilst the Catalan players and Gerard Lopez will savour this victory, it is worth remembering that Catalonia is not a recognised state in the eyes of FIFA and thus this game counted for nothing.<doc-sep>
Barcelona legends Xavi Hernandez and Gerard Pique are set to come out of international retirement to play for Catalonia in the upcoming break. Catalonia will play a friendly against Venezuela on March 25, with Pique set to make his 10th appearance for the side. Xavi announced his retirement from the Spain back in August 2014, but is still playing professional football out in Qatar with Al Sadd. Pique announced his own retirement after the 2018 World Cup at the age of 31. Catalonia are not officially registered by UEFA or FIFA, but are allowed to partake in friendly matches. However, there has been controversy in Spain over the matter, with Rayo Vallecano, Real Valladolid and Huesca all refusing to let any of their players join up with the Catalan side. Catalonia's manager Gerard Lopez says he understands the clubs' decisions, with Watford refusing to let Gerard Deulofeu join up with the squad. You can see the whole squad picked for the fixture below, per Football Espana. GOALKEEPERS: Isaac Becerra, Edgar Badia DEFENDERS: Gerard Pique, Martin Montoya, Marc Bartra, Aleix Vidal, Didac Vila, Marc Muniesa, Marc Cucurella MIDFIELDERS: Xavi Hernandez, Victor Sanchez, Pere Pons, Oscar Melendo, Joan Jordan, Alex Granell, Oriol Romeu, Aleix Garcia FORWARDS: Sergio Garcia, Bojan Krkic, Marc Cardona On the face of it, that's a pretty good squad to pick from. The likes of Pique, Bartra, Cucurella and Jordan have all enjoyed impressive domestic seasons. Catalonia's game against Venezuela will be the first time they have played a game within FIFA's official international break window. Back in the early 2000's, Catalonia played against the likes of Argentina and Brazil, but their inability to feature during international breaks made it very hard for top-level players to feature. Whatever the result on March 25, the game will be a historic one for the Catalan people. News Now - Sport News