MADRID, 15 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The absolute men’s coach, Sergio Scariolo, has announced this Tuesday the list of 16 players summoned for the two games of the second Window of the qualifying phase for the 2023 World Cup that Spain will play against Ukraine, a call that maintains the base of the Windows team, with the novelty of the Valencian forward Josep Puerto.
In addition, Ferran Bassas (Joventut Badalona), Rubén Guerrero and Francis Alonso (Unicaja), return to the list, after not being in the November call. The first of these two matches against the Ukrainians will be played on Thursday the 24th at the Vista Alegre Municipal Palace in Córdoba, and on Sunday the 27th, in principle, it remains officially set in Kiev.
For Scariolo, this is a list “that keeps going into the future.” “We incorporated a player who had not been in the calls for the Absolute Selection until now, like Josep Puerto, who has been performing for a few months with energy, talent and with progressive improvement in terms of experience in a great team like Valencia Basket” , he highlighted.
“The rest are players who continue in our idea of introducing new players who come out of our training categories and who are making their way into the national competition. And we have not called up more veteran players for this window who at this point in the season can have more advantage with a week of rest or different training with their teams but that they will be able to join in the summer”, he explained.
About the rival, Scariolo assured that “Ukraine is a complicated team”. “From here we send a big hug to our teammates and opponents, to coach Bagatskis, his coaching staff and his players, in the situation of uncertainty they are experiencing. We have to prepare ourselves because it is a team with a lot of talent, athletic and with the ability to It will be two very complicated games, but we like to meet again, compete again and continue sowing seeds for the future”, he added.
Finally, the coach sent a message to Real Madrid player Carlos Alocén, who was injured this week. “I want to end by sending a hug and a lot of encouragement to another player who is part of our Family and who unfortunately will not be able to be in the squad this summer, due to his injury. Carlos, we know that you will come back with great strength to help your club and also to the National Team”, he concluded.
Thus, the list is completed by Alberto Díaz (Unicaja), Dani Pérez (Baxi Manresa), Ferran Bassas (Joventut Badalona), 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).