“Being able to be a coach is an illusion”

GironaFive years after the last game, the absolute Catalan women’s team will step on a parquet floor again. The basketball team will play this Saturday (5 p.m., Esport3) against Ukraine at the Fontajau pavilion (Girona). “This Saturday’s match is a very special date because, after five years without competing, the Catalan women’s national team can meet again. It will be a very special event because, in addition, it is part of the centenary celebrations of the Catalan Federation. I’m very excited to be part of this unique day”, says Mireia Capdevila, the coach who will lead the national team.

“Our objective has been to try to make the best possible squad. We have opted for the players who could come and were available. The predisposition of all of them has been maximum and we have prioritized making the best possible team. All the players compete in the maximum competition of their countries and for me it’s a luxury,” acknowledges Capdevila. The coach started the season on the Milar Córdoba bench (Women’s Challenge League) and has been the technical manager of the Catalan national teams since January.

“Catalan basketball is experiencing a great moment. Most of the players in the absolute selection have gone through the selections of the training categories and have now become reference players both in the Endesa Women’s League and in other foreign leagues. We are very optimistic both for the future and for competing at the present time,” says the coach. The Catalan Federation expects to have a good turnout of spectators. “We would like Fontajau to be full and for the fans to be able to experience with us this great celebration of Catalan basketball. I hope that we can see a competitive game against an opponent of the level of Ukraine. We will try to propose a joyful game that will excite the people who come see us or follow us through television,” adds Capdevila.

“I would like the national team to have the identity traits of Catalan basketball and to propose a fast, colorful game with a strong defense. In attack we must bet on sharing the ball well and scoring quick points in transitions and from the outside shot. We had little time to prepare for the match, but we will adapt our style to the players we have. The impact of the coaching staff will be limited, we have to let the players express themselves.”

“I am very excited to be the coach. The fact of being able to have such an experience is an important challenge. I am lucky to have a very powerful coaching staff and a group of players who arrive eager to join,” explains Capdevila . The absolute women’s Catalan team will have Georgina Bahí, Anna Palma, Mama Dembele, Rosó Buch, Aina Ayuso, Laura Méndez, Laia Flores, Txell Alarcón, Carol Guerrero, Helena Oma and Ainhoa ​​López. Laura Peña, who is called up, will not be able to play because she has not yet recovered from her injury.

“Basketball, a passion”

Capdevila has been breaking prejudices both from the benches and from the classrooms for years. “Basketball is my daily life. Being able to be a coach is an illusion. Being able to dedicate myself to my passion as a way of life is exciting. It’s a path that started many years ago and that, learning after learning , I hope it lasts many more. I noticed the beauty of being a coach from a very young age and when I was 27 or 28 years old I already prioritized it. I never get tired of watching matches, I have no limit,” she confesses.