Spain defeated by Latvia in the Euro Cup qualifiers, Ricky Rubio returns
The Spanish selection, current European championHe missed his debut in qualifying for the 2025 edition (to be held in August-September in Finland, Latvia, Poland and Cyprus), on Thursday, at home in Zaragoza.
The Spanish team lost to Latvia (79-75) – the organizing countries of the Euro Cup participate in the qualifying phase, despite their automatic qualification – and by 18 points from Rihards Lomazs.
Rubio returns after eight months of absence
The match was marked by the return to competition of Ricky Rubio, the 33-year-old Spanish leader. The latter had not played for eight months, after wanting to take a step back due to mental wear and tear.
The Spaniard had also not played with his national team for two and a half years. For his return, he spent 21 minutes on the court, scoring 11 points (2/11 shooting, including 1/4 three-pointers) and providing five assists. According to Sergio Scariolo, coach of the Spanish team, Ricky Rubio wanted to return to the competition with the colors of his national team.
“I received a lot of support, (…) it helped me a lot in such a difficult time”
Before the match, the player spoke on the social networks of the Spanish Federation: “ I’m nervous, almost like a beginner, but the truth is that I really wanted to return to the national team, where I left off. (…) The atmosphere is spectacular, there are young players with a lot of talent and I want to teach them a little of everything. »
Regarding his personal problems, Rubio said: “ I never felt alone, I received a lot of support from the national team, from Cleveland at the time and from the basketball world in general, and that helped me a lot in such a difficult time.
