Europe awaits Benidorm | Handball

Latorre's team surpasses the Liberbank Cuenca in a semifinal pica and will face Barcelona in the final in search of the first title in its history. The runner-up is enough to seal the classification for a continental competition if the Catalan team wins the League.

“Let us dream.” This was the phrase chosen by the communication channels of Benidorm Handball to illustrate their first adventure in the final phase of a Copa del Rey. The set that trains Fernando Latorre collided in the competition at the last hour and without making noise and, after two pique battles against rivals of greater potential, has managed to gain a foothold in the grand final this Sunday (6:00 pm) at the Caja Mgica in Madrid against FC Barcelona, ​​the king of the tournament.

The Catalan team has imposed a dictatorship in the Spanish handball for the past six years, in which it does not miss a title. Benidorm's options are tiny, but while it's sport there is always a possibility. But Barcelona, ​​in the light of any Asobal team, can be a hero and executioner of Benidorm, since if it ends up winning the League, something that is only a matter of time – five points ahead of Ademar, second – the finalist of the Cup -the Benidorm- have direct ticket to Europe.

After knocking down Bidasoa Irn on Thursday, a favorite on that side of the painting, this Saturday Benidorm made a triple somersault against the Liberbank Cuenca, who was backed by more than a thousand fans in the stands. Latorre's formula was successful again. “You have to take the game to an even end so that the favorite feels the pressure and fear of losing,” he explained this week. He was about to leave on time, but a goal on the horn of Natan, former Agustinos, avoided it.

Despite the blow, Benidorm, who went to the Cup without two of three of its pillars, the Cubans Jorge Pabn, top scorer of the team, and Angel Rivero, in addition to the pivot Gonzalo Porras, pull of trade and patience to return the currency to Cuenca in the best possible way: with a goal in the last second of the extension to sign the final (27-28).

Simonet is legend

And the author of that goal could not be other than Pablo Simonet. The Argentine central, the heart of the team next to Carlos Grau from Madrid, scored a bit for history, as it puts Benidorm in the position of raising a national title for the first time. And Simonet did it with dozens of bulbs pointing at him, since In the last few hours his signing for the next season was leaked by the Basin, the team you run. Simonet gave a lesson in professionalism and personality and his pulse didn't tremble to run his future team for the current one.

The final is an impossible mission, but Benidorm, repeats its coach, It is intended to “enjoy an experience that we do not know if we will ever live again.” The finalsima comes at an excellent time for the club chaired by Javier Abinzano, the true architect of the social, economic and sporting miracle of the entity. Tired of knocking on doors of companies and institutions in search of collaboration for the Benidorm Handball project, Abinzano see alone, together with his mayor, Toni Prez, the grand finale from the box. “We have shown that we are a serious project and that, in addition, it has a quarry and gives results”, constantly defends the president, who hopes that the jump to Europe will awaken some consciences so that Benidorm can represent Alicante and Spain with dignity for the continent.