Ricky Rubio and revenge mark the beginning towards Eurobasket
Spain receives Latvia, executioner in the World Cup, in Zaragoza, with its sights set on the desired return of the Catalan point guard
MADRID, 21 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish men's basketball team will begin its qualifying phase for the 2025 Eurobasket this Thursday at the Príncipe Felipe Pavilion in Zaragoza (8:00 p.m./Teledeporte), the first step to defend its continental crown, and will do so against Latvia, executioner in the last World Cup, and where it seems that Ricky Rubio's desired return to the slopes will occur.
'La Familia' returns to action after the bitter taste left by its last major international event, where its defense of the 2019 title ended in the second group stage, largely due to its rival in the capital city. Spain could not contain the Baltic team in a disastrous final quarter (11-27) that gave the Latvians a historic victory by 69-74 and which was the first step towards a goodbye to the championship that was finally certified against Canada.
Now, warned of the potential of Luca Banchi's team, precisely the coach who replaced Sergio Scariolo at Virtus last September, the European champion will try to lay the first stone in her defense of her brilliant and almost unexpected continental crown of 2022, with a sporting rematch in a match that, in any case, is somewhat different from the one that took place on September 1 in Indonesia.
Firstly, the scenario, since the support of Zaragoza must be noticed and be a plus for the Spanish team and, secondly, what is at stake, much less in the case of Latvia, already qualified for the Eurobasket as a of the hostesses. However, both do share that this match and the one next weekend, against Belgium at home in the case of the Spanish, can help them start working on their respective vital Pre-Olympic Games that they will host in July as hosts in Valencia and Riga.
Furthermore, despite the fact that the FIBA-Euroleague pact allows the presence of players from the top continental competition, the two teams will present themselves differently, with Sergio Scariolo without being able to count on the NBA Santi Aldama and Usman Garuba, Sergio Llull, Willy Hernangómez, Alex Abrines, Juan Núñez or the nationalized Lorenzo Brown, while Banchi appears without players like Artur Zagars, Roland Smits or his 'ceiling' Anzejs Pasecniks and only seven players from Mundobasket.
THE DESIRED RETURN OF RICKY RUBIO
However, there will be one player on whom all the attention will surely fall. Veteran Catalan point guard Ricky Rubio could play again after more than a year and having left his concentration for Mundobasket to take care of his mental health.
The player was the surprise on Scariolo's list and, after being registered by Barça for the remainder of the Euroleague and Endesa League, he could stage his long-awaited and desired return in this match. For now, the coach confirmed that he is counting on him for this match, so everything indicates that he will play again, in what will be his first international match since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
On the other hand, Scariolo will no longer be able to count on another of the veterans, captain Rudy Fernández, in this 'window', while Carlos Alocén, who returned to the courts at the end of 2023 after almost two years out due to a serious knee injury.
Until last summer, Spain had dominated Latvia in their previous eight matches and now they will try to return to the path of victory against this rival, with a lot of external threat mainly and that in the Indonesia Arena was able to win the rebound battle.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
SPAIN: Rubio, Abalde, Alocén, Brizuela, Claver, Díaz, Jaime Fernández, Juancho Hernangómez, López-Arostegui, Parra, Pradilla, Saiz and Sima.
LATVIA: R. Kurucs, A. Kurucs, Helmanis, Silins, Bertans, Timma, Strautins, Chavar, Lomaz, Grazulis, Steinbergs, Silins, Leimanis, Bloom y Zorik.
–PAVILLION: Prince Felipe of Zaragoza.
–TIME: 20.00/Teledeporte.