• Raquel Carrera the 19-year-old "silent leader" who is not afraid of hot balls

From May 17 to August 8, 84 days for a trip around the world, but also for one of the most exciting challenges in Spanish basketball. The women's team faces an unprecedented double challenge, a Eurobasket and the Olympic Games on a run, a physical and mental frenzy, but also a "showcase" as

Jorge Garbajosa

said on Monday

, "three months of visibility", at the start of over the Lucas Mondelo girls.

It was in Madrid, at the Endesa headquarters, where the 16 summoned -

Astou Ndour was missing

, who will attend the WNBA; they will stay in 12 plus 2 - they were presented before heading to Valencia. There they will begin the concentration, with an ambitious tour included, to defend in the Fonteta - with at least 3,000 spectators in the stands, as announced by the Minister of Culture and Sports, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes - the continental gold, from June 17 to 27. And, immediately afterwards, the look to Tokyo, with the silver of Rio in memory, to face the Olympic event from July 26.

Between the permanent demand and the illusion, the renewal that is happening in a historical group, which accumulates a decade without getting off the podium, which

has won three of the last four Europeans

, and which, as Mondelo himself assured half jokingly half in seriously, it starts to "bother".

"They have been saying for 10 years that we are not going to win and we do not stop winning. It seems that we are being ignored. If you get tired of us winning, I'm sorry, take a chair."

"Generational change"

Beyond the future plans, the physical and mental recovery of a group that barely had a rest after finishing the competitions with their clubs, there was an air of renewal in the atmosphere of the women's team. New faces, "generational change", but also famous absences.

Marta Xargay, Anna Cruz and Laura Nicholls

are not just anyone. And, for some reasons, more controversial or less, they are no longer with Spain.

"Those who are not, their reasons will have," said Laia Palau, the great captain, on the way to 42 years, recently renewed with SPAR Girona and two steps away from

her 300th match with Spain

. "They have been important players in the history of the national team, but this is life," he reasoned. "There are very important players who are no longer there, but they also entered when they stopped being very important players. They asked me this question nine years ago when Amaya Valdemoro, Elisa Aguilar, Anna Montañana, Marta Fernández left ... I hope the process be something similar ", justified the coach, who celebrated the return of Alba Torrens," the best Spanish player in history ", after her absence from the Eurobasket 2019.

Among the thriving newcomers,

Raquel Carrera

monopolized the attention. Along with her, Maite Cazorla and other new faces such as Laura Quevedo, Nogaye Lo, Paula Ginzo and the newcomer Laia Flores. "I have seen zero doubts regarding the level of commitment and enthusiasm," Mondelo closed, in an event that was also attended by the Deputy Mayor of Madrid, Begoña Villacís, the General Director of Communication of Endesa, Ignacio Jiménez and the new director CSD sports general, Albert Soler.

The team will begin its work this Tuesday at the L'Alqueria de Basket facilities, the team will head

to Toulouse

and will soon face a double confrontation against France -Sunday 23 and Monday 24 May-.

Later, it stops in Córdoba for a triangle with Nigeria and Belgium.

The friendlies prior to the European will be closed with another triangular against Turkey and Italy.

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Know more

  • Madrid

  • Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes

  • Spain

  • Begoña Villacís Sánchez

  • France

  • Cordova

  • Belgium

  • Turkey

  • Italy

  • Valencia

  • Girona

  • Eurobasket

  • sports

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