Chus Mateo: “The team is well up for the Super Cup”
“We want to win this trophy and we're hungry for it,” said the coach before travelling to Murcia.
Chus Mateo spoke to the press at the Real Madrid City pavilion before travelling to Murcia to take part in the Endesa Super Cup: “The team is well up for the Super Cup because we're really motivated to compete. The Super Cup is a test that can sometimes be misleading, but it'll be a great spectacle. We'll try to be at our best after the pre-season and we're ready to compete.”
“It'll be a tough match against Barcelona as it's never easy to play against this team. The details, like ambition or competitiveness, will determine who wins. We want a trophy and we're already going for the first one; we're very hungry for it. That's our identity. We'll be playing a team that wants to get off to a good start in their new phase.”
Barça
“Barcelona have a good team. They have Punter, who's a great scorer. Also, Anderson and Metu will give them a lot of energy. They also have Fall, who will try to shadow Tavares. And Juan Núñez, who's a brilliant player and will give you the edge. We approach these games against Barça as we always do.”
Sense of competitiveness
“If we win the Super Cup, it'll give us peace of mind. At Madrid, we have to win everything that comes our way. If we lose, it's also a good time to put things right. The feeling is that we have to compete regardless of whether we haven't had so many days of preparation. Our opponents won't be at 100% either.”
Andrés Feliz
“Having Sergio Rodríguez was extraordinary, but I'm sure that Andrés Feliz is going to be a great player at Real Madrid. He'll do very well and all he's shown me is that he's a player who listens, knows what he wants and wants to compete. It's very important that he and Campazzo act as the two main references on both sides of the court. These signs give me optimism about him.”
Getting into the competition rhythm
“They're all doing well and ready to play. Some players are in better shape than others, but everyone will get into the rhythm. So we'll be fighting for the Super Cup. Playing so many games with 13 players is tough to bear and we'll have to be alert to the situation.”
New faces
“We've made more changes than on other occasions. This year it'll be more difficult because we've lost key players in the game and the dressing room such as Rudy, Sergio Rodríguez, Causeur, Poirier and Alocén. But we have to keep moving forward.”