Moncho Fernández Faces Grueling Travel Schedule With FIATC Girona

The FIATC Girona basketball team faces a critical test of consistency this week as the squad prepares for two consecutive away games.

Coming off a 92-87 home victory against Surne Bilbao, the team must now prove it can replicate that performance outside of Fontajau, head coach Moncho Fernández said.

The team travels to face Dinamo București this Wednesday at 18:00 local time (16:00 UTC) in the FIBA Europe Cup, followed by an away game against Unicaja in Málaga this Sunday at 12:30 local time (11:30 UTC). Fernández emphasized the need for growth, noting that the team remains unbeaten at home but struggled in their last road trip, a 107-78 loss to Casademont Zaragoza.

“We have to face the game knowing how difficult it is to play away from home,” Fernández said in a press conference. “It will be a good week to qualify the maturity of the team because we have two games outside of Fontajau. We have to prove to ourselves that we are capable of competing outside of Fontajau as well.”

Wednesday’s matchup marks the start of the second round of the FIBA Europe Cup, where FIATC Girona previously defeated the Romanian side 87-75. Fernández expects a different tactical challenge this time around.

“Surely there will be many differences compared to the first game,” Fernández stated. “At that moment all the teams were starting and now we are much more mature with new players and more time in competition.”

Maintaining the top spot in Group B will require a rigorous defensive effort, according to the coach. He noted that the team must contain Dinamo’s perimeter shooters and their interior presence to dictate the tempo of the game.

The upcoming travel schedule has raised concerns regarding player health. Fernández confirmed he is monitoring the physical condition of Aljaz Kunc and Jassel Pérez, both of whom finished the Surne Bilbao game with discomfort.

“The rest have the typical discomfort of when you play two games in a row,” Fernández said. “That is the competition. I hope we don’t have many problems on Wednesday.”

The coach expressed gratitude for the demanding calendar, noting that the travel and back-to-back fixtures are simply part of the reality of competing in Europe. The team’s immediate focus remains on the meeting in Bucharest, which serves as the first checkpoint in a week that will determine their standing on the road.

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