The Olympic Games they have claimed the second victim on the Spanish benches. After the convulsive departure of Lucas Mondelo basketball, when the competition Tokyo 2020 It had not even been closed, it was the turn of another female coach, the handball coach, Carlos Viver25 days after the flame went out in Japan. In both cases, their contracts had been renewed until 2024 for the next Olympic cycle. It was not the only cause for surprise. The decision on Viver has been made three months before the celebration of the World Cup in Spain, the other great challenge. The results of the Games, together with their disappointing adventures by their respective Europeans, they have diluted the signature of the commitment and the project for the future. None will follow until Paris 2024.
Viver joined the National Team in February 2017 with the arduous mission of relieving Jorge Dueñas, who had added four medals: an Olympic bronze, a world bronze and two European silver. At his command, the team had earned the nickname of Guerreras for their tenacity on the field, but some members of that generation had already retired or were in decline. Viver’s landing had the first objective of renewing the squad, with two events marked: the Tokyo Games and the World Cup in Spainto. The laurels were reissued ahead of schedule, with silver at the 2019 World Championships, which could be a gold if Alexandrina Barbosa had materialized a shot with seven seconds left. That zenith became a double edged sword for Viver, which is well understood with a phrase that he himself pronounced a year ago, the day of his renovation: “It is more difficult to repeat a success, than to achieve an unexpected one.” There will always be the question of whether the real level of the Warriors was that runner-up, or what came after. The World Cup will give some answer.