In the lead-up to the EuroLeague Women Final Six in Zaragoza, Spar Girona head coach Roberto Íñiguez defended his squad’s hard-fought campaign, stating that what the team has achieved carries “much merit” despite an ongoing wave of injuries and roster disruptions. According to statements reported by EFE and published by Infobae, the Basque coach pointed to Girona’s second-place finish in the Liga Endesa regular season and their berth in the continental tournament’s final stage as major successes forged through pure resilience.
Navigating Roster Instability and Injuries
Girona arrives at the decisive stretch of the European season grappling with a severely depleted rotation. Íñiguez confirmed the definite absences of Marta Canella and Arica Carter, while noting that forward Chloe Bibby and guard Laura Quevedo are traveling to Zaragoza without being at 100 percent physical capacity. The mounting physical toll has limited the team’s capacity for standard developmental training over recent weeks. “Since a long time ago, our day-to-day work does not allow us to improve, and when you do not improve, you get worse,” Íñiguez told reporters, as detailed in the EFE agency report. He emphasized that the team’s survival relies more on player grit and collective desire than on tactical progression.
Balancing Emotion and Intensity Against Venezia
Girona opens its Final Six journey in the quarterfinals against Italian powerhouse Umana Reyer Venezia. Íñiguez assessed the upcoming opponent as a complete, disciplined unit combining athletic foreign talents with an Italian core composed entirely of national team players. To counter Venezia’s physicality and tactical discipline, the Girona coach stressed that his players must rely on mental composure rather than raw court intensity. “Now we have to be smarter than intense, when the team has sometimes been intense without thinking too much about our moments of peak performance,” Íñiguez explained. With fatigue setting in at the end of a grueling calendar, the coaching staff intends to offset physical wear with mental focus and ambition.
Stakes in Zaragoza
For Íñiguez, reaching the final weekend in Aragon represents a vital competitive threshold. The coach expressed frustration that external observers have occasionally failed to appreciate the magnitude of Girona’s results under extreme duress, though he remains fiercely proud of his players’ adaptability. Looking ahead to the single-elimination knockout format, he highlighted the value of advancing past the initial hurdle. “If you win, you are there until Sunday no matter what happens in the semifinals: you play two more matches, you opt for a medal. If you lose, you go home. We are going to try it,” he concluded.
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