“The new ones have arrived on equal terms with a position to earn”
MADRID, 31 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The forward of the Spanish basketball team Xabi López-Arostegui believes that the preparation matches for the Eurobasket and ‘the FIBA window’ have helped them “know” their “weak points” before starting this Thursday a “highly demanding” Eurobasket ” and where he sees himself trained to fight “for everything”, and to which he arrives with the experience of having lived through the past Olympic Games in Tokyo.
“It will be a very nice Eurobasket, with rivalry, competition and a lot of demand. Time will put us in our place, but we will fight for everything. We have to focus on the day to day,” López-Arostegui acknowledged in an interview with Europa Press before travel to Georgia for the start of the European event.
The 25-year-old forward is one of the 12 chosen by coach Sergio Scariolo to play in the European Championship. In this way, the Valencia Basket player will live his second “great” experience with the national team after the Tokyo Olympics, where he replaced Juancho Hernangómez.
“Last year it helped me gain experience and look at my teammates, some role models for me. The Eurobasket would be the first championship with a little more filming to be able to play and help the team on the court”, he added in this regard.
The withdrawal from the national team of the brothers Pau and Marc Gasol leaves a team with renewed faces facing their first great challenge, accompanied by five world champions. “Sergio Llull, Rudy Fernández, Willy and Juancho Hernangómez and Quino Colom have transmitted the methodology and philosophy to us in recent years. We will add the energy of those who have joined to make a solid group”, he affirmed.
“THE NEW ONES HAVE ARRIVED WITH A POSITION TO EARN”
“We have all come here on equal terms. Yes, it is true that there are veteran people, but the new ones have arrived on equal terms with a position to win,” explained López-Arostegui, who “every time” feels “better” .
However, Llull’s last-minute withdrawal due to injury has been “a blow” for the ‘Family’. “He has been an important player in recent years. But in the end the team always comes back together and we will try to make up for any shortcomings together”, admitted the ‘taronja’ forward.
López-Arostegui showed the positive side of the defeats against Greece and Lithuania in preparation for the Eurobasket because both “are very powerful rivals and candidates.” “We lost, but we left a good feeling and from there we have been able to work. It was good to face them to see our weak points,” he said.
Regarding the scoring talent of the team -for Sergio Scariolo “limited” after the second defeat against Lithuania-, he valued the evolution of the team during the summer. “We were not very successful. They have been preparation games and we have had moments of rest because the seasons are very long. The beginning was a little worse, although things are going better”, he celebrated.
In this line, the qualifying matches for the 2023 World Cup served to leave behind the bad streak and chain two consecutive victories against Iceland and the Netherlands that have served them “to polish things and get more shot to the Eurobasket”.
“We already know the importance of ‘FIBA windows'”, remarked the Basque player, who did not give much importance to his break against the Icelanders. “There are many games and players. We had to rotate and Sergio also uses various schemes. As long as I can help I will be happy,” he concluded.