Spanish National Team Faces Pre-Olympic Tournament in Valencia
Q: Is the Pre-Olympic tournament the most difficult challenge in your long coaching career?
A: It’s not about being the most difficult, but the first time we’ve faced a tournament at this point in the season. Our preparation time is limited, and we have to use other resources to compete. We have no margin for error; we have to be at our best from the first minute.
Q: Does anything, any detail, any situation keep you up at night?
A: There’s nothing that keeps me up at night. The focus is on understanding our team’s most effective version rather than thinking about rivals.
Q: How is the national team doing? The team has experienced a five-game losing streak, the worst in decades. Shouldn’t we be used to losing more often?
A: The streak is absurd. We’re no longer focused on results, but on being competitive and producing the maximum possible performance.
Q: Are you more worried about your rivals or your team’s performance?
A: We’re worried about our preparation time. We have to be well-prepared to face our rivals. Defensively, we have to be super-activated, and we have to generate cooperation on offense.
Q: What size are we in this tournament?
A: We’re a team that has grown throughout the championship, but now we have to be at our best from the start.
Q: Has Rudy helped you make the rest of the team understand the importance of the Pre-Olympic tournament?
A: Rudy is handling this matter well. He’s not being selfish; he’s conveying the importance of being in the Olympics. He’s not saying, "It’s just my sixth Games, we have to go." He’s trying to make his teammates understand what it means to be in the Games.
Q: What does having Lorenzo Brown mean for Spain?
A: Lorenzo is an intelligent player with good balance between scoring and generating play. He has good presence to be there in difficult moments.
Q: You expect more from players like Aldama or Juancho, right?
A: I expect more from everyone. Everyone has their own story, and we all have to give a good level. Defensive growth is key.
Q: Games without Spain would be strange. The last time it happened was in 1996.
A: I’m not surprised by this data. We have a new tournament for us, and we have to get used to the fact that this Pre-Olympic thing might happen again in the future.
Q: Arriving at the Olympics is a medal, given the level. We have to start valuing these things.
A: We have to really value the idea of being in the Games. Achieving it would be very meritorious.
Q: If you could choose any player from the golden era for this current team, just one, who would you take?
A: I can’t look back. We’re proud of the past, but now is the time for the present and the future will come. I’m excited to see what the future holds for our team.
