• Opinion: Doubts as a source of energy, by Carlos Jiménez
  • The rival Campazzo, a pocket leader for Argentina
  • Llull and Rudy. The antiheroes of the national team: "They are criminals with a winning mentality"
  • Analysis: Spain and the fun of suffering
  • Opinion: On day D, Gasol was finally Gasol

Víctor Claver (Valencia, 1988) yesterday played pocha after eating, like every day. Nothing special, although it could not be hidden in his face or in the atmosphere at the Shangri-la hotel in Beijing that the final afternoon played a final. From a World Cup, nothing less, like that of 2006 that the Barça forward saw eating with his family.

It seemed impossible to imagine here. I dreamed it a little tonight, although there were fewer clubs than there will be tomorrow [for today]. But I had not even imagined it, playing a World Cup final ... Yes, I have relived many times that of 2006, I have seen the semifinal and final repeated. Without realizing it, we have reached that point again. Hopefully we can play a great game like them. The following year I was already invited to the concentration and it was as if I had touched a raffle, in my first year of professional and being with those who had been world champions the previous year. Now it is compared to Carlos Jiménez. flattery. Everything Carlos gave the team was spectacular. Hopefully I can also raise the Cup, although I do not as captain, of course. Do you enjoy defending? Yes, because it involves being previously prepared and knowing the game. You defend well when you know where you have to go, when you have to help and when not. That's fun, because sometimes you have to play and hit it. When it goes well, you enjoy it, but dancing always with the ugliest will be exhausting. When they tell me who I have to defend, I start thinking about that player, as with English on Friday, or Gallinari and Bjeliça before. I like to dance with the ugliest, it helps me to be more active and focused. Do you feel pressure? There is no pressure. It is a final between two teams that nobody expected to reach so far. This also frees us, there is no clear favorite, we have both come doing many merits. We both have a lot to gain, because nobody counted on us. How do you escape from a precipice like the Australian semifinal? The good thing is that it doesn't depend on someone saying so. We are all aware that we could win and overcome. Looking at our faces, we knew we were going to fight him until the end. That complicity and that chemistry that exists between all of you is what makes you win these matches. The final as a starter and protagonist for someone who saw so many medals at the bottom of the bench, is it a reward? To get here was not an easy way, I have given many things. There were obstacles ahead. Feeling important in such a large team is beautiful, special. I consider myself lucky. All those years helped me to be in this moment and in this situation, although I wish I could have played more from the beginning. The medal in a World Cup is a reward. It is the prize for a lot of work time behind and not seen. It seems that everything has been very nice to get here and not. What will be the key to the game? I have not looked at the numbers, but it seems that we are the two best defenses. Do not let the hardness of Argentina take us out of the game and believe in our options. How do you stop Scola? It is difficult. He is showing it again, which has a lot of quality. It doesn't matter that I physically no longer dominate like years ago. He gives everything and knows more than anyone. It will be necessary to be very above him so that he is not comfortable, so that it costs him to create his shots. And attacking him, so that in defense he is not comfortable.

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