On predictions: "That's all very well for show, but it doesn't matter much."
BARCELONA, 15 (EUROPA PRESS)
Spanish national team forward Alberto Abalde has stated that it is "foolish" to think about the pressure that could arise from the possibility of defending the Eurobasket title they won in 2022, since what they should be "obsessed with" is working to become a "competitive and difficult team to beat," thus leaving aside all external predictions, which the Galician explains are fine "for show" but to which they pay no attention within the locker room.
In an interview with Europa Press, Abalde called it "foolish" to think of the pressure of retaining the title as a negative. "It's foolish to think about it. I think what we should be obsessed with is becoming a competitive team. As I said, there's still a lot of work to do, and our goal is to be a good team, a competitive team, a team that's hard to beat. And then we'll see where the competition puts us," he declared.
Regarding predictions ahead of the Eurobasket, with FIBA placing Spain in eighth place in its latest Power Rankings, the Galician player revealed that they aren't thinking about that, as they have "enough work" to do so. "We don't think about many things outside the box. I think there's already enough work and enough concern," he emphasized.
"Each team member should come here, get together, adapt, and build a team, getting in shape after the demands of the season. I think there's enough to think about, to start thinking about expectations from abroad or predictions for the European Championship. I think all of that is very good for show, but it doesn't matter much. The important thing, and we're already working on that, is to prepare and continue, to continue working," he said.
In the two weeks before the Eurobasket kicks off, Spain will face France and Germany twice, two opponents who will allow Sergio Scariolo's team to "continue making progress." "They're two very demanding opponents, two top opponents, but well, I think at this point we're just focused on building our strength," he emphasized.
"We still have a lot of work to do, and playing against such good teams will require us to keep pushing forward. I think the important thing now is ours, heading into the championship," said the Spanish national team's forward, who will kick off the Eurobasket on August 28 (2:00 p.m.) against Georgia.
The team led by new Barça signing Tornike Shengelia will be Sergio Scariolo's team's first opponent, who will face Greece, Italy, Bosnia, and Cyprus in the first round. Abalde doesn't want to call this a "group of death," as they all contain "great" teams, and the important thing is to perform "well" in their debut.
"I think all the groups are competitive. All the groups have great teams, great players. What concerns us is our group, and we know we have to get to that point, to the first game, at a good level," emphasized the Galician player, who faces his first Eurobasket with Spain this summer.
HE'S GOING TO THE EUROBASKETBALL WITH "GREAT ENTHUSIASMS"
The forward will play his second tournament with the national team, having played at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The Galician has missed several international competitions due to injury, as happened at the 2024 Olympic Qualifiers and the 2024 Paris Games. For this reason, the 29-year-old is approaching this Eurobasket with "great excitement," and playing for Spain is "super special."
"I'm really excited. Playing for Spain is always super special for me, and well, as you say, I've had a few summers where, due to various circumstances, especially physical problems, I haven't been able to play, and I'm really excited to be back in a tournament with my country," he revealed.
The Real Madrid player arrives at this European event after a great season with the Whites, having played a total of 87 official matches. He describes a matchload as tough "on the body and the mind," having had less than a month to recover before training with the Spanish national team.
"It's hard on the body and the mind. The season has been very demanding. And well, now we've had almost a month to rest our bodies and minds, to forget about basketball for a bit. And now, we're back with enthusiasm. Often times, when you push your body again, it suddenly asks you at first: what are you doing? And well, now with the load and little by little, I'm putting my mind back into the competition," he said.
Once the Eurobasket is over, Abalde will begin preparing for next season with Real Madrid, where he will once again be coached by Sergio Scariolo, who will leave the Spanish national team to become the new coach of the reigning Endesa League champions. However, the forward doesn't want to talk about it, as the Eurobasket is a "very exciting challenge" ahead of him and he doesn't want to think any further.
"I'm not really focused on the team yet because I have a very exciting challenge ahead of me, so there will be time to talk about the club. The season is still a long way off, and there's still work to be done to get to the Eurobasket, so imagine next season," explained the Galician player, who will be in his sixth season with Real Madrid, where he is "very happy" and hopes to stay for many more years.
"I think you enjoy it the most when you're immersed in the day-to-day, and besides enjoying it, that's when you give it your all, and that's kind of what matters to me. Continue this preparation phase, keep getting in shape, keep adapting to the team, and try to add more and more to it," concluded the forward, who is emerging as one of Spain's key players ahead of the Eurobasket, where Scariolo's team will try to defend the title they won in 2022.
