Rudy Fernandez, the glue of the national team

“When I heard it, I thought ‘it’s happening’. So I didn’t have to raise my voice a decibel. I limited myself to saying four things they should do on offense and four things they should do on defense. and at that moment, I didn’t have to add a fight”, explained coach Sergio Scariolo after the match.

The Italian coach was talking about Rudy’s touch of attention. shook his friends In the dressing room of the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin during the break of the match against Finland. After the first half, where the colorful Scandinavian team beat the world champion, Spain lost nine points (43-52).

This scene narrated by the coach and players of the national team, Another example of the rise of the Real Madrid player it has a very young and inexperienced group and yet is still alive on the short list for medals.

Rudy andone of the keys to this unexpected success. The 37-year-old Majorcan player is a reference both on and off the field. on the parquet still a propeller. Against Finland, without going further, he appeared defensively with five steals and did not burn the ball from the perimeter in the final quarter for Spain to hit the semi-final ticket of a Eurobasket for the eleventh time in a row.

It is an off track criterion. His ten medals and 245 matches for the national team support him. Without the Gasol brothers—retired—nor injured Ricky Rubio, the Real Madrid shooting guard has become the mirror in which his teammates look at each other.

Dario Brizuela, in his statements to EFE emphasizing that the captain is “very high” among all the players, sums it up as “Rudy is the link between the golden generation and the team we are here now”.

Moreover, He was involved in the unification of the group at a time when Spain was going through a transition period. between a generation that kisses victory and a group of young people trying to follow in their footsteps.

“He draws everyone in, he tries to be with everyone, he invites everyone to play ‘pocha’ (card game) in his room,” adds Brizuela.

Even nationalized point guard Lorenzo Brown, the last to join La Familia, It was one of the ‘pocha’ games organized by the captain.

The music in the locker room is provided by Joventut de Badalona striker Joel Parra. The soundtrack to the selection of Bizarrap and Quevedo’s summer song ‘Quédate’.

Without Ricky Rubio in concentration, Rudy shares a room with young forward Jaime Pradilla, sixteen years his junior. Or to put it another way, the captain spends hours with a rookie who was 3 years old in 2004 when he made his debut with the senior team at the Olympic Games in Athens. Another example of your participation.

“The person who has helped us the most this year is Rudy. Pay attention to the little details, pay attention to the day-to-day, how he works, how he looks after himself, how he thinks while watching videos, his ideas.. Xabi López-Arostegui told EFE after all, he has incredible experience in many games.”

And he adds: “He’s very aware of everything to maximize and take advantage of every moment to get the best performance. Those little details you didn’t realize when you were very young, you listen to him and say: “he’s right.” It makes you try to be a little more careful inside and outside, take better care of yourself, your diet, and be more prepared for the matches.”

It also continues to be decisive in important parties. Rudy Fernandez andThis is the glue of a choice.despite everything,He will fight again for medals in Europe.

Defeating Spain in the final (74-73) at the 2005 Eurobasket, Germany will be Spain’s next obstacle. In this match, young Rudy Fernández already played 14 minutes and failed to score. Seventeen years later, his role in the national team is different.