On July 22, in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, the Spanish hockey team proclaimed themselves champions of Europe and, amid the celebration, the scorers of the final joked: “We had to come Girona to the rescue!». They were the Olotí Marc Julian (Reus) and Lloret Marc Grau (Barça), keys in the victory with a double each. under sticks, Carlos Grau (Barça), Marc’s older brother, had already fought in the penalty shootout in the semi-final.
Maybe yes, then, that the people of Girona came to the rescue! Either way, all three highlight the team’s work. Surely, the one who appreciates him the most is the goalkeeper, who during the championship noticed how he went from less to more: “In the first days I said that he was not defending well enough, there is confidence and so we made it to the final, where we were incredible». With different roles and much less protection, Grau and Julià claim a group with which “at first maybe there were people who did not trust, who criticized us”. Nothing could be further from the truth: Unbeaten tournament and third European in a row for Spain Two draws at the start are nothing, next to a trophy. For the Reus player, in fact, he was the first European, and “en Guillem Cabsestany, the coach, said it was the one we played best”. With his twin Àlex, who plays for Girona CH, Marc is the youngest of the Grau, and he was already with the national team in 2021. In 2018 he had stayed on the shortlist, but when the opportunity came, he didn’t play too much. Anyway, “play more or less, both titles are part of mebecause in the end we are all at the disposal of the team and the important thing is the collective».
This is an idea that the Spanish hockey team is very clear about. The other Degree also emphasizes the “joined” of a team where many former colleagues agreed i on ten of the eleven players were Catalan, as well as the technician. Carles says it well, “in the end this is an anecdote”, but also, as his brother remembers, “it is noticeable in the communication, especially due to the fact that they shared the track». “We’re more or less the same age, we’ve always played with one or the other and it’s a positive cycle,” adds Julià.
Another differential fact for this group was the fact of play at home, in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. Despite being the oldest of the three, Carles Grau had never been “lucky enough to play in any important championship in Catalonia”, and he appreciates the response of an audience that “got hooked”. “The atmosphere was very nice, full almost every day, and people had funwhich is the best for hockey”, adds his brother.
Julià also values ”having family and friends nearby, which gives a lot of encouragement”. Enough, in fact, to play a final. And it wasn’t easy. Complicated group stage, with two draws and a key win in the last game. “At the beginning there was a bit of nervousness, but we are used to living with it, and without him we can’t compete well either”, says the one from Olot. Under the sticks, Grau “was calm and convinced that the team would react to adversities”. When it was his turn, he did not fail, being the key to the penalties in the semi-final. They didn’t make any. Thus, he entered into a definitive duel where he faced an old acquaintance: Gonçalo Alves, fellow in Porto. “He is one of the great players in our sport, he gave me two real goals, but he doesn’t scare me, otherwise I wouldn’t be playing at this level”, he says.
And so, safe and firm, three people from Girona were proclaimed European roller hockey champions. All three will now, of course, have a well-deserved holiday, but in September it will be their turn to prepare for a new campaign with their clubs.
Clear ideas for the future
They can certainly do it happily and, moreover, with clear ideas for the coming season. Marc Julià is more than settled in a Reus that “is part of the family”. He has been there for more than five seasons and it is “impossible not to be happy with them”. The Grau brothers, on the other hand, have just finished their first year at their new team, Barça, but they are happy with it. Carles has two more years on his contract and wants to continue “longer” in this “unforgettable experience that I am taking advantage of every second of training and match”. As Marc rightly says, last season was “almost excellent, because it is true that we wanted the Champions League, and we played a big role in it, which in the end was eliminated by Porto, who emerged as champions, but winning the League, in addition to the Cup and Super Cup, you have to be very happy.” He is also with the organization, and for this reason, he wants to continue beyond the year of commitment that remains: “I want to make it possible, it is the best club in the world”.
2023-07-29 04:31:00
#journey #glory #Girona #natives
