MADRID, 26 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish men’s basketball team gathers this Monday in Zaragoza for the last FIBA ’window’ of the first qualifying phase for the 2023 World Cup, in an active summer for Sergio Scariolo’s men whose double objective will be preparing for the Eurobasket month of September.
The players summoned by Scariolo, a list of 15 given by the coach last Tuesday, will meet at noon in Zaragoza, where they will remain until Sunday, after their first game on Friday against North Macedonia at the Principe Felipe Pavilion.
Later, Spain will head to Tbilisi, where they play on Monday 4 against Georgia, while the ‘window’ will end on Thursday 7 in Riga against Ukraine, a match that was postponed in February due to the war that broke out in the rival country.
Sacariolo described the meetings as “quite demanding”. “They will give us indications to choose which and how many of them will be part of the group that will prepare this year’s Eurobasket starting on August 1,” said the coach in statements collected on the official website of the Spanish Basketball Federation.
The players who will attend the call are Jonathan Barreiro (Unicaja), Ferran Bassas (Joventut Badalona), Darío Brizuela (Unicaja), Quino Colom (AEK Atenas), Alberto Díaz (Unicaja), Dani Díez (Hereda San Pablo Burgos), Jaime Fernández (Unicaja), Fran Guerra (Lenovo Tenerife), Xabi López-Aróstegui (Valencia Basket), Joel Parra (Joventut Badalona), Jaime Pradilla (Valencia Basket), Miquel Salvó (Gran Canaria), Sebas Saiz (Almark Tokyo), Yankuba Sima (Baxi Manresa) and Santi Yusta (Casademont Zaragoza). Tyson Pérez (Morabanc Andorra) will also participate in training sessions as a guest.
After their victories over North Macedonia away from home (65-94) and at home against Georgia (89-61) and Ukraine (88-74), Spain is now mathematically qualified for the second qualifying round for the 2023 World Cup , in which they will have Italy, Iceland and the Netherlands as rivals, and whose first ‘window’ will be played in August, on the dates prior to the Eurobasket.