The preparation for the World Cup will not have Maica García, Anni Espar or Pili Peña
BARCELONA, 19 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish women’s water polo team will imminently open a new era after it became official this Wednesday that Miki Oca, coach for the last 14 years, will leave his position in a few days – at the end of 2024 – to make way, First, to a situation of provisionality in which, for the moment, there is already a small revolution in terms of the call.
The women’s water polo team will carry out, without Miki Oca at the helm, two preparation camps in Tenerife and Italy before playing the World Cup in Alexandropolis (Greece) from January 12 to 20.
Before, from December 26 to 30, the team will be on the Canary Island training and from January 2 to 5 they will travel to Naples. The final stretch of this concentration to prepare for the competition on Greek lands will be at the CAR in Sant Cugat from January 7 to 11.
“Due to the non-continuity of Miki Oca at the head of the team, it will be led by the usual staff in recent years (Jordi Valls and Ángel Andreo, along with coaches Mario García and Carla Fargas, and guest coach Enrique Cruz) “Once this phase is finished, the RFEN will carry out the appropriate arrangements for the replacement at the head of the team in order to prepare for the next World Championship in Singapore,” the RFEN announced.
Beyond Miki Oca’s future goodbye, the absences of several ‘totems’ of the group stand out in this first list, which, with the Madrid native in charge, won everything, with the historic Olympic gold in Paris 2024 as a great final collective feat. Thus, in addition to goalkeeper Laura Ester, who this week announced her retirement internationally, and the pregnant Judith Forca, veterans Maica García, Anni Espar and Pili Peña are not mentioned.
The water polo players called for these preparation training sessions for the World Cup are: Paula Camus, Elena Ruiz, Paula Crespí, Nona Pérez, Ariadna Ruiz, Queralt Antón, Alba Muñoz and Martina Terré (CN Sant Andreu), Paula Leitón and Bea Ortiz (Astralpool CN Sabadell), Isabel Piralkova and Paula Prats (CN Terrassa), Mariona Terré, Cristina Nogué, Mireia Guiral and Martina Clavería (Assolim CN Mataró), Daniela Moreno and Blanca Colominas (Zodiac CNAB), and Elia Jiménez and Carlota Peñalver (CE Mediterrani).
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On the other hand, the men’s team also gets going again, without changes on the bench or those revolutions. The team led by David Martín returns to action after participating this past summer in the Paris Olympic Games with the aim of preparing for the World Cup Division 1 to be held in Bucharest (Romania), from January 6 to 13.
The Spaniards will hold a ‘stage’ in Palma de Mallorca from December 26 to 30. After spending the end of the year with their families, coaching staff and players, they will complete their preparation for their return to competition from January 2 to 5 at the CAR in Sant Cugat.
The call is as follows: Unai Aguirre, Álvaro Granados, Roger Tahull, Bernat Sanahuja, Unai Biel, Biel Gomila, Alberto Munárriz, Marc Valls and Alex Bustos (Zodiac CN At. Barceloneta), Sergi Cabanas (JUG Dubrovnik), Miguel de Toro (Ferencvaros), Marc Larumbe (Marseille), Edu Lorrio, Óscar Asensio, Javier Bustos, Axel Corres, Jan Pérez and Fran Valera (Astralpool CN Sabadell), Óscar Blasco and Albert Sabadell (CN Terrassa), Max Casabella and Albert Ponferrada (USA University), Pol Daura and Óscar Matarredona (CN Barcelona).