The Spanish city of Valencia will turn red this weekend as the Spanish Red Sticks prepare to do battle with the world number one side, the Red Lions of Belgium.
The Estadio Betero in Valencia has the honour of holding the first match in the inaugural FIH Pro League with two giants of the European game attempting to be the first team to get on the scoresheet on this historic occasion for international hockey.
While Belgium’s recent success at the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup has been the pinnacle of a glittering past few years of growth and progress, Spain has struggled to stay in touch with the top four teams. From a world ranking high of number three in the world in 2008 – the same year they won silver at the Beijing Olympics – the Red Sticks have slipped to ninth. An early exit from the 2018 World Cup, where they finished 13th, did not help matters.
But, the FIH Pro League offers new opportunities and Spain, under the leadership of Head Coach Frederic Soyez, is looking to build a new hockey empire. The team certainly has the manpower: the Spanish squad comprises a well-balanced group of new, talented youngsters and experienced campaigners – Sergio Enrique, Pau Quemada, Miquel Delàs and Quico Cortes have more than 1,000 caps between them.
With captain Delàs out of action for the first few matches because of a shoulder injury sustained at the World Cup, Quico Cortes is wearing the armband. FIH caught up with goalkeeper after an intense training session just a few days before the opening FIH Pro League match.
FIH: What are the team doing in the last few days of preparations for the opening match versus Belgium?
QC: After the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup we took a few weeks away to rest and recover, We spent Christmas with our families and then from the start of January we were back on track. We began with some hard physical testing and training. Since then, we have been working hard to make sure we are in great shape to face the world champions.
FIH: How do you feel about captaining the side in front of a home crowd in the opening game of a new event?
QC: It is always special to be captain of the team, but with this team, starting a new competition, starting again in a new year, this will be very special moment. Hopefully the stadium will be packed and if we win the game, well, then it would be even more special.
FIH: How will Spain improve upon their recent performance?
QC: I think it is clear to everyone what were our strengths and our weak points in Bhubaneswar. The key over the past few weeks of training and throughout the competition has been and will be to build on our strong points and make sure we work hard on our weaknesses. In my view, our strengths are our very robust defence and our ability to keep the ball.
FIH: What do you see as the key areas you need to counter in the Belgium team?
QC: The Belgian midfield and forward lines are very strong so we need to break those lines down and prevent them building momentum in their attack.
FIH: Which country or countries are you most looking forward to playing and why?
QC: For me, it doesn’t matter where we are playing, the important thing during this competition is what we do with our team and how we will improve our level of play.
FIH: What will be the main challenges during a long, intense global league?
QC: I would say the main challenge for the coach will be how to best manage the team. He has to decide which players will play each match. Over a long period, different players will be in form at different times and the coach has to manage that. For the players, the challenge is to be as ready as possible, physically and mentally, for each game.
