MADRID, 20 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish men’s basketball team begins this Monday in Córdoba its concentration for the second qualifying ‘window’ for the 2023 World Cup, where they will face Ukraine only once after FIBA decided to postpone Sunday’s duel in Kiev for the situation between the Eastern European country and Russia.
Thus, the 16 players summoned by Sergio Scariolo will face their first training session on Monday afternoon at the Vista Alegre Municipal Palace, where they will continue working until Thursday morning.
That same day, they will play their only match of the ‘window’ against Ukraine in the Andalusian city (8:45 p.m.), after FIBA postponed the one that was scheduled to be played on Sunday in Kiev, due to the situation between Ukraine and Russia, and move it to the next ‘window’ of June-July.
The Italian coach has maintained the base of the ‘windows’ team, with the addition of Valencia Basket forward Josep Puerto, while Rubén Guerrero and Francis Alonso (Unicaja) return to the list, after not being in the November squad .
The players called up are Alberto Díaz (Unicaja), Dani Pérez (Baxi Manresa), Quino Colom (AEK Atenas), Joan Sastre (Lenovo Tenerife), Francis Alonso (Unicaja), Josep Puerto (Valencia Basket), Xabi López-Aróstegui (Valencia Basket), Joel Parra (Joventut Badalona), Oriol Paulí (Morabanc Andorra), Jonathan Barreiro (Unicaja), Dani Díez (Hereda San Pablo Burgos), Miquel Salvó (Herbalife Gran Canaria), Jaime Pradilla (Valencia Basket), Yankuba Sima ( Baxi Manresa), Rubén Guerrero (Unicaja) and Fran Guerra (Lenovo Tenerife).
The team, leader of the group, achieved two victories in the first two days of this first qualifying phase for the 2023 World Cup, the first in their visit to North Macedonia (65-94) and the second against Georgia in Jaén ( 89-61).