“We are going to want to beat everyone, but we have to be prudent”

MADRID, 18 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The women’s national basketball coach, Miguel Méndez, acknowledged this Thursday that the “cycle change” he has led has been “important” and forces them to be “cautious and prudent”, although he advanced that they will want to “beat everyone”. once the Eurobasket starts, a “tough challenge”.

“It is a change of cycle in which many young players have entered, people from the quintet, first rotations. It has been an important change, with the handicap of having injuries in a position (pivot) in which we are not very strong and athletics”, Méndez explained in statements released by the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) from Vigo, “one of the cradles of Spanish basketball”.

The Galician city is the first stop on the preparation tour and where the team will be until next Friday, when the Vigo Tournament ends between May 24 and 26 with the participation of Italy and China, the current runner-up in the world.

These matches, and four other friendlies, will serve Spain to prepare “in the best possible way” for the Eurobasket, which starts on June 15. “We have our options to play well. The last championships force us to be prudent, but they are very competitive players and we are going to want to beat everyone. But we must be careful. The objective of the Pre-Olympic can be realistic,” Méndez analyzed about the places -France and the other top five classified- to fight to be in Paris 2024.

ALBA TORRENS: “WE ARE REALISTIC, EUROBASKET IS A HARD AND DIFFICULT CHALLENGE”

For her part, the player Alba Torrens admitted that the team is not experiencing “an easy moment” after a “summer without competing.” “At the Eurobasket it is a hard and difficult challenge. We focus on the day to day and on how we can prepare in the best possible way, being aware of the difficulty of the championship. We will see where we are, there is a desire to work, a lot of enthusiasm , but we are realistic about the challenge that it is”, valued the player.

Finally, the forward recalled her time at Real Club Celta between 2006 and 2009. “When I landed this Tuesday I had a very special feeling, all the memories came to my head, they are all very good. I have a very special affection for Vigo and all his people”, he stated, before praising the coach as “a very important person” in his career. .

“He continues to help and teach me. The way he does it is an example. I have words of gratitude, it’s lucky to have shared all these moments,” he concluded.