Together with them, Paula Valdivia, Maddi Aalla and Esther Arrojeria will play their first major tournament with the senior team
MADRID, 17 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Royal Spanish Handball Federation (RFEMM) announced this Monday the list of 18 players drawn up by José Ignacio Prades to play the European Championship, which will be held from November 4 to 20 in Montenegro, North Macedonia and Slovenia.
The Montenegrin capital will act as the headquarters of the ‘Guerreras’ during the first phase of the Championship, the preliminary round, debuting on November 5, precisely, against the host team. Poland and Germany are the other two rivals to beat in this preliminary phase, with the top three classified in this Group D being the ones who will get through to the Main Round.
In this list the names of Alba Spugnini and Lysa Tchaptchet stand out, two of the great novelties in the pivot position. Together with them, Paula Valdivia, Maddi Aalla and Esther Arrojeria will play their first major tournament with the senior team after proving their worth in both the 2022 Mediterranean Games and the Carpati Trophy.
Thus, Silvia Navarro (Rocasa Gran Canaria), Mercedes Castellanos (Costa del Sol Málaga) and Maddi Aalla (Super Amara Bera Bera) will be in goal.
In defense Alicia Fernández (Rapid Bucuresti), Carmen Campos (JDA Dijon), Esther Arrojeria (Super Amara Bera Bera), Lara González (Paris 92), Alexandrina Barbosa (CBM Morvedre), Almudena Rodríguez (Gloria Bistrita), Irene Espínola ( Rapid Bucuresti) and Paula Arcos (Super Amara Bera Bera).
At the ends Jennifer Gutiérrez (Rapid Bucuresti), Sole López (Costa del Sol Málaga), Paula Valdivia (CB La Calzada), Maitane Etxeberria (Super Amara Bera Bera).
From center Kaba Gassama (SG BBM Bietigheim), Lysa Tchaptchet (Vipers Kristianstad) and Alba Spugnini (Rocasa Gran Canaria).
The national coach has valued this list of summoned and recognizes that “it has been very complex and complicated to prepare”, even “painful” having to choose “only” 18. “We have sought the maximum balance so that the list is the best possible right now. We believe it’s important for the range of players to expand. We’ve looked for players who offer us versatility and gain experience”, she explained.
“It is important that the national team has a broad list of players that they can count on and that they can enter, because tomorrow anything can happen and for the National Team it is good that there are alternatives and that all the players gain experience and learn to function in all kinds of situations”, points out José Ignacio Prades.
Regarding the entry of Alba Spugnini and Lysa Tchaptchet on the list, the coach assures that the pivot has been the position where “the most difficult” has been to choose. “In recent calls, up to six players have passed for this position and with any of them we would have gone to war,” he added.
“Alba Spugnini is a player who already had a spectacular last season and that every time she has been called up we have really liked how she has performed. As for Lysa Tchaptchet, perhaps she did not have the necessary fluency when she had been called up as she did She has her at her club and the truth is that the ‘Carpati Trophy’ has been a good test for her and we think she can be an important player for the future,” he said.
The European Championship is, for Prades, “the most complex competition of all and the most difficult”. “The goal is to compete one on one against all rivals and try to get as many points as possible in order to qualify for the Main Round. We know it’s going to be difficult and we have to push ourselves to go one step further”, concluded.
Prior to the debut against Montenegro, the Spanish team will play the International Tournament of Spain in Torrevieja (Alicante). The team returns to what was their ‘home’ during the historic 2021 World Championship held in Spain and will face Tunisia, Egypt and Switzerland as the last test before heading to Podgorica. The TIE 2022 will be held the weekend of October 28 to 30 at the “Tavi y Carmona” Sports Palace in Torrevieja.
