32 players make up Red Lynxes’ extended roster for #EuroVolleyM
News
The men’s national team of Spain is preparing for an exciting 2023 with the main goal to perform well at this year’s CEV EuroVolley on the horizon. It is an important year for the Red Lynxes, who will compete at the European Championship for the fourth straight edition. The countdown has started with the publication by head coach Miguel Rivera of the extended roster from where he will choose the players representing Spain at the continental event due to take place at the end of August and beginning of September.
There are 32 names on the list, all sharing the same commitment, work ethic, effort, and focus on the next European Championship, in which Spain will compete in Pool B in Varna against 2021 silver medal winners Slovenia, Ukraine, Finland, Croatia, and the hosts from Bulgaria.
EuroVolley is the main target of the Spanish national team for 2023. As Miguel Rivera assures, it is a difficult challenge, since “being realistic, the group we have in the European Championship is a very complicated one, although it is evident that the first objective must be to try to make it through the group stage, which is not going to be easy at all because the opponents we have drawn are very tough ones.”
Miguel Rivera“Spain returns to the European Championship for the fourth consecutive occasion after performing there in 2017, 2019, and 2021. Obviously, we are going with ambition and our goal is to win at least two matches to advance to the Round of 16. From there, everything that comes will be a bonus."
Head coach of Team Spain
To reach the knockout round of #EuroVolleyM, Rivera has prepared a list of 32 pre-selected players including:
Setters: Miguel Ángel de Amo, Lucas Lorente, Rubén Lorente, César Martín, Ignacio Sánchez, and Ángel Trinidad
Opposites: Augusto R. Colito, Álvaro Gimeno, Gerard Osorio, and Andrés Villena
Wing-spikers: Jorge Almansa, Emilio Ferrández, José María Giménez, Juan Manuel González, Francisco Iribarne, Adrián Olalla, Jordi Ramón, Víctor Rodríguez, and José Villalba
Middle blockers: Martín De Chavarria, Jean Pascal Diedhiou, Jorge Fernández, Miquel Àngel Fornés, Rubén López, Víctor Méndez, Borja Ruiz, and Alejandro Vigil
Líberos: Mario Dovale, Aharón Gámiz, Unai Larrañaga, Daniel Ruiz, and Alejandro San Martín.
“This list is a pre-selection that brings together the 32 players who can best represent Spain in the European Championship,” said the coach when talking about players who “combine a series of conditions, from sporting performance to commitment in recent years. All of this has made the list has different nuances.”
“Commitment has to be present when representing the team, and I think that everyone who comes will show it,” Miguel Rivera began his address. “I also believe that unity is essential. When we step onto the court, we must work together to achieve the same objective. Commitment is evident. There is only one national team, and we all have the commitment to make it as great as possible,” he emphasised. “This summer, the goal is difficult but very nice. Playing with the national team in a European Championship is something that every player should aspire to. That unity when we put on the jersey is important when representing the national team.”
Together with the publication of the names of the 32 pre-selected players, Miguel Rivera announced the composition of his staff, which will be formed again by José Luis Moltó as assistant coach, Guillermo Carmona as statistician, Javier Dovale as trainer, and Judith Pérez as team manager.