The Cuban power forward of Valencia Basket Jasiel Rivero assured that he believes his team has a chance to win the Super Cup that takes place in Tenerife this weekend and added that it could already be seen on Sunday “dancing to celebrate“, although in the end he will not participate in the tournament due to injury. “Difficult steps remain, but it is possible because we have prepared well“He said in an interview with Efe carried out before his injury became known.
The first of those obstacles will be Barcelona, ​​who will be measured on Saturday in the semifinals. “It will be a very difficult but not impossible rival and we will come out with the mentality of winning. It is a first title and it is played quite early, although we have already had enough training sessions to achieve the goal of winning this cup. Let’s hope everything works out for us“, he pointed.
Rivero was satisfied with how the preseason went despite the many casualties the team has had, three of which (Nenad Dimitrijevic, Xabi López-Arostegui and Louis Labeyrie) will remain for the Super Cup.
“It is always good to win even if they are games that do not count and it is also good to get positive things missing players as we lack. I think we have prepared quite well so that the result is the best possible“, he stressed.
Rivero signed for Valencia this summer after exercising his termination clause to leave San Pablo Burgos and although he stressed how good this stage was, he said that he is very happy with the step taken, both personally and professionally. “I am very satisfied with my time in Burgos. I only complain about the cold, which kills me, I’m allergic“, he pointed.
The interior also assured that its integration has been very fast. “I’m surprised. I thought it was going to be more difficult for me to join the team because I was coming to a squad that has been together for many years, but it went quite well for me. I am very sociable, very charismatic and from the first day I joined very quicklyThey liked the charisma and we got along very well. It seems we’ve been together for a hundred years“, he assured.
In addition, the fact that he is once again managed by Joan Peñarroya, who was his coach in the two successful seasons in Burgos, believes that he can help him. “I’m happy to be with him back and I hope things turn out well for us like these seasons in Burgos. I am attached to your game idea and I hope we can spend a lot of time together“, he pointed.
Rivero was one of the protagonists of the Valencia Basket presentation this past Tuesday by wearing a flag of his country in his hair. “I never forget my roots, I am very proud to be Cuban, I like salsita, guaracha. I had to leave forced with something Cuban, if I had not done it, it would not have been me. My people there are very happy that I am playing in a league and in a very important team and that I have not changed“he explained.