Chus Mateo: “I am relatively calm and convinced, it will turn out well”

The Spanish basketball coach, Chus Mateohas been “absolutely convinced” of qualifying for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar, said in the press room at the conclusion of the match against Greece that his team lost 108-106.

“I am relatively calm because there are four games left and I think it will go well, I am absolutely convinced of it“said the Madrid coach who, reiterated, the difficulty of achieving one of the three places in group 1 that grant the World Cup ticket.

“The advantage we had has been reduced, but nobody said it was going to be easy, not even when we were 5-0,” said Mateo, who highlighted the triumphs achieved in the first phase that have given the team an advantage in the standings, even with favorable averages against rivals such as Ukraine or Georgia, in addition to the fact that the defeats against Portugal or Greece have occurred by a narrow margin of points.

The Spanish coach was more satisfied, despite the defeat, with the image offered by his team in Athens, than that of Zaragoza against Portugal where, he said, “we were not at the level, but we were against Greece where they competed until the end and “we lost against a rival with players who were stellar.”

Mateo acknowledged that the team will have “ups and downs, because it does not compete and play together and in each window the same problem will happen”, something that, he reiterated, will be improved, as will aspects such as ball losses “little by little, with experience and playing together.”