MADRID, 21 One. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish team makes its debut this Saturday in the European Futsal Championship, which takes place in the Netherlands until February 6, in a match that will face Bosnia-Herzegovina (5:30 p.m.), debutant in the continental tournament.
The team led by Fede Vidal, runner-up in the last European Championship, will seek to recover a crown that they have held seven times – the last in 2016 – after being dethroned by Ricardinho’s Portugal in the last European Championship. The ex of Movistar, withdrawn from his selection, will no longer be at this appointment.
The Spaniards will make their debut after a week marked by the uncertainty of a positive for COVID in the expedition: Mon Barreiro, assistant coach. A situation that forced the entire squad to be isolated, giving results because -one day after the game- no new positives have emerged in the national team.
Who will not be is Adolfo, who was in contact with a positive prior to the national team trip and will miss the debut. As for the rest of the players, the only doubt, which will remain until minutes before the game, is that of Catela.
Bosnia, which comes to the European Championship full of hope, will try to surprise Spain in a match that is always difficult due to the nerves of debut, even for a team as experienced as ‘La Roja’. Something that the Spanish coach has already warned about in the preview of the match.
“It’s an example of a team that has grown a lot. We can’t go into the match thinking it’s just another game. We’ve analyzed their game. They have many virtues. It’s going to be a very difficult opponent,” Fede Vidal told the media.
Spain faces the championship with many regular faces such as Jesús Herrero or Dídac in goal, as well as Ortiz, Chino, Sergio Lozano, Raúl Campos or Borja Díaz, among others, players with great experience and a lot of talent. After the debut in the European Championship, the team’s next challenge will be on January 26 against Azerbaijan on the same stage, the MartiniPlaza in Groningen, but at 8:30 p.m.
To conclude the group stage, Spain -integrated into group D-, will face Georgia -also debutant- on January 29 at 5:30 p.m. It will be repeated again in the same pavilion. The top two finishers in each group will play in the quarterfinals.