Lopez-Arostegui: “I started at Ventanas and now I’m captain”

Javier Lopez-Arosteguicaptain of the Spanish men’s basketball team, said this Monday in Guadalajara that the national team, which is preparing for a double duel with Slovakia in the pre-European championship, “always answers”. Spain must beat Slovakia on Friday in Bratislava and next Monday in Ourense if they do not want to jeopardize their participation in EuroBasket 2025.

“I believe that the team always responds. With windows always come doubts, but the group always responded to expectations, to pressure,” said the Valencia player. “We did not achieve the goals of the first window, but we have a new opportunity in the second. WithWe have a group of young players who are joining the group, talented people who have worked in the national team’s training. “I’m very happy to be part of the first team,” he added.

The Valencia Basket striker is the team captain in this FIBA ​​window. “I started with Windows, and now I’m a captain. “I will try to help the youngest players as much as possible so that they have a better understanding of how the national team works, how we work, and, of course, with the utmost desire to play as best as possible.”

– he noted. The level of performance is also important for the Valencia striker, but López-Arostegui argues: “We have to fight in the important matches because the goal is also important; We have players who have played important matches, won titles, taken part in important competitions, including at European level.”

Scariolo: “We have fresh forces coming from behind”

“We must provide classification”– said Sergio Scariolo, coach of the national men’s basketball team, in Guadalajara, where he is concentrated with the team. The Spanish national team will face Slovakia this Friday in Bratislava and on Monday, November 25, in Ourense.to try to get their classification back on track. “This is a very important window, the level of urgency of which is between special and atypical. because usually we know the classification a little clearer, but in this case we are by no means sure.

” Scariolo said this afternoon.

Actually, a considerable part of the chances of getting to the European Championship next summer will depend on these two games. “We need to prepare well to be able to compete.”– added the Italian coach. For the coach, the FIBA ​​Window is “not so much about rehabilitation as it is about ambition and competitiveness.”

Fewer and fewer “selectable” players are participating in FIBA ​​windows with Spain and other basketball teams. “We know the difficulties, but we also have fresh forces coming from behind,” remarks Sergio Scariolo. “Some are gaining significant minutes, others are about to do so,” he said, “there is no doubt that there is a very long distance between starting a game of a few minutes and playing important goals in the quarters of a high-level competition. “big”.

The Italian coach wanted to thank the coaches who give these players opportunities and the clubs who bet on them. “I think they deserve it, they are responding satisfactorily. “They will have to carry on, be ambitious and know that no one will give them anything.”

“We must trust people completely, we cannot trust them halfway. – concluded the national team coach, – later we will win or not win, but decisions are made at the moment when they must be made, there is no need to look back.” “It is more important, despite the lack of size or talent, to bet on those who really They play with a lot of rotations, with a lot of competition rhythm, and this almost always, almost always proved us right.

“

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