Miguel Méndez: “The players trust me and I trust them”

MADRID, 18 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The women’s national basketball coach, Miguel Méndez, praised his players after the vital victory this Sunday against Greece to stay alive in Eurobasket 2023 and also advance to the quarterfinals directly, thanks to a “cocktail” of mutual trust that allows them not to stop “growing”.

“Part of the game plan was that defense. I’ve been happy since I joined the national team. I’ve asked them for 100% and they’re giving it to me, through effort, talent and confidence. No one doubts, they follow the game plan. When I I’m wrong, nobody looks at me badly, they trust what I do,” he said at a press conference after the match.

The Galician coach stressed that trust is mutual and that the team has “room for improvement.” “That confidence that I have towards them forms an interesting cocktail. Today we have been the team we want to be. We have defended very well and we can continue defending well, we can also grow”, he affirmed.

“We were under pressure and it’s not easy to play this match. We have a margin for improvement, which we will try to increase based on mutual trust. We were clear about it. The match was very tense, go home or move on, but the prize is greater: peace of mind, be in the quarterfinals and have three days off,” he added.

In addition, Méndez, who explained the difficulty involved in playing at night for recovery, explained the physical state of María Conde. “It is an old injury, this year it has happened to her once. We are waiting, she is a very important player. Falling is a mental test, but she is a very intelligent woman and her first mission this month is to help the team”, term.