Spain’s head coach David Martin has chosen the players he will count on at the tournament of Group B of the World Cup Division 1 in Podgorica (March 8 – 14).
Spain will come with 15 players.
Ten of them won the gold medal at the World Championships in Budapest and European bronze last year: Perrone, Aguirre, Bustos, De Toro, Famera, Munarriz, Tahull, Cabanas, Lorrio, Sanahuja.
Blai Mallarach, who played at the Worlds, but missed the Europeans, because he needed a rest, returned to the team.
Two world champions and European bronze medalists – Alvaro Granados (Novi Beograd) and Marc Larumbe (Barceloneta) aren’t on the list of the 15 players who will go to Montenegro.
David Martin explained that it was a technical decision
“The season is very long, and the players have many matches. We believe that Granados and Larumbe need to rest physically and mentally because they didn’t rest during the Christmas holidays. We want that all players will be in good condition this summer”, Martin told Total Waterpolo.
Alberto Barroso (who won European bronze), Oscar Asensio, Unai Biel and Biel Gomila are among the 15 picked players, along with 11 world champions.
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Besides Granados and Larumbe, two players who won the bronze in Split are not traveling to Podgorica – Nico Paul and Fran Valera.
Spain’s roster for the World Cup Division 1
Goalkeepers: Unai Aguirre (Barceloneta), Eduardo Lorrio (Sabadell).
Field players: Unai Biel, Alex Bustos, Miguel de Toro, Martin Famera, Alberto Munarriz, Felipe Perrone, Roger Tahull (all Barceloneta), Oscar Asensio, Blai Mallarach (both Barcelona), Bernat Sanahuja, Sergi Cabanas (both Sabadell), Alberto Barroso (Salerno) and Biel Gomila (Catalunya).
On Day 1 of the tournament in Podgorica, Spain will play against Greece. Besides the Greeks, the Spaniards’ rivals are Serbia, Montenegro, Georgia and Australia
Follow the results and statistics of Division 1 on Total Waterpolo Arena
More articles about the World Cup and the former World League
