Spain 2008 NT

[fasoulaki2]

Are we talking about THE Pepu, who did not tell anyone that his father died shortly before the worldchampionship final to avoid affecting the team negatively?

 

[damelo2]

The and the only one.

 

[mvblair2]

...I don't agree at all, even though he hasn't got ever to one stupid meeting not really related to the team but the sponsors. And probably Spain has lost one of the main points to get a medal.

Good to see you writing again, mi amor. I agree that Spain has lost one of their biggest advantages. Spain will still bring a ton of stars, but who is going to form a constellation with those stars?

.... Saez said that Pepu spoke with rival sponsors and that's why he was sacked, and Pepu is saying those are very serious accusations.

So Pepu was killed because of commercial endorsements!?

 

[alermac2]

How can anyone be so blinded by power to commit such stupidity.

 

[mayteromanl2]

That Saez is not more than a kind of important civil servant more concerned about taking care of his seat. I'm trying to remember what happened with Javier Imbroda, maybe any of you remember that, but I think that his left was at least strange... probably that Saez.....

...Matt.... I'm coming back.....

Fasoulaki, that one.... is annoying. In today's news the sack was reported and were shown the images in which the players were celebrating the gold, and Pepu was looking at nowhere, almost with tears in his eyes, and his hand on his heart.... I'm so angry that even believe I'd like we won't win a medal...but it's unfair for the players

 

[rikhardur2]

Navarro stated that Reneses would be a "good coach" for the NT.
He's already there if you ask me.

 

[asiertxu102]

Most of the things in spain work as bad as they currently are working for the spanish federation. Pepu is sued and who knows how long will Lakers stand Gasol going to matches, knowing that Garvajosa and Pau himself injured las time playing for the spanish national team ?

 

[rikhardur2]

ESP - Gasol, Navarro would relish Aito at Spain helm

BOSTON (Olympics) - Spain superstar Pau Gasol is hoping the country’s basketball federation acts quickly to replace Pepu Hernandez following his sacking as national team boss.

Gasol, who on Thursday was to play in his first NBA Finals game with the Los Angeles Lakers at the Boston Celtics, admits he would love to have the chance to play for his former Barcelona coach, Aito Garcia Reneses.

Aito stepped down last week as DKV Joventut boss after leading them to Copa del Rey and ULEB Cup glory this season.

Gasol, the MVP of Hernandez’s 2006 FIBA World Championship team after leading the Spanish to the title, said: “I hope whoever takes over has the enthusiasm and willingness to get a good result at the Olympics. I know Aito Garcia Reneses. I’ve known him for a while and I would be delighted, but if it's someone else, equally.”

The seven-foot Gasol believed Hernandez had done a great job on the court in his more than two years with the national team.

"I think this situation was a little unfortunate although I don't know exactly the reasons why it has come to this point to sack the coach,” Gasol said.

“On the court the team worked but outside of it, I don't know what has happened but it's an unfortunate situation.

"I just hope that the federation (FEB) appoints a new coach as soon as possible to start planning for the Olympics."

Juan Carlos Navarro, Gasol’s best friend and also a Spain player, would also like Aito to take over.

Navarro, who is coming off his rookie campaign in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies, said of Aito: “He’s a great coach and has proved that for many years.

“I know him because he was my coach in my first seasons at Barcelona. He has achieved many titles and would be good for the national team.”

The Olympics tip off in August.

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/25484/arti.html

 

[mvblair2]

This is an interesting development, Rick. I half-expected the Spanish players to call for a revolución. Sounds like they might actually be OK with firing Pepu. Could that be true?

 

[rikhardur2]

This is an interesting development, Rick. I half-expected the Spanish players to call for a revolución. Sounds like they might actually be OK with firing Pepu. Could that be true?

Yes, more or less I guess, since it's Aíto we're talking about. But all players surely must think the decision made by the Federation was aberrant.

 

[damelo2]

Well, they have to do with it... And, Pepu once said that team doesn't need a coach, so... it doesn't really matter, no?

 

[rikhardur2]

ESP – Garba comments on Pepu firing

MADRID (Olympics) - Spain power forward Jorge Garbajosa has described the sacking of popular national team coach Pepu Hernandez as “something uncomfortable for everyone”.

Garbajosa’s heroics two years ago in the final of the FIBA World Championship – he buried six three-pointers and had 20 points - lifted Hernandez’s Spain to a gold medal triumph over Greece and last year he made a dramatic return from injury to help his country capture a silver medal.

In explaining why Hernandez had been sacked, the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) said the coach had shown “a lack of respect to the FEB and to its executive members” in public.

“The federation is above players, coaches – no one is indispensable.”

Garbajosa added on the federation’s website, www.feb.es: “My relationship with the federation has been fantastic for a long time and my relationship with Pepu was excellent as we speak often.”

“It's something uncomfortable for everyone and also, indirectly for the players."

Garbajosa has all but been ruled out of this year’s Olympics after missing virtually the entire NBA season with injury.

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/25475/arti.html

 

[porompompero2]

“The federation is above players, coaches – no one is indispensable.”

When Garbajosa said this, he was talking about Pepu BUT also Saez. He said in another source that It is a message for Saez too.

 

[sashikas2]

The new coach of the national team was announced yesterday. Aito Garcia Reneses took the position after the release of Pepu Hernandez

 

[rikhardur2]

The new coach of the national team was announced yesterday. Aito Garcia Reneses took the position after the release of Pepu Hernandez

As expected, it couldn't be anyone else. Apart from Pepu of course, no other available coach would please the players as much as Aíto. Neozyrus will be happy

 

[sashikas2]

Personally I don't feel sympathy for this coach since he was in the head of Barcelona at the times, when Artūras Karnišovas was playing there during his first campaign in Catalunya. Karni's first year there was brilliant, but in the second he started to feel some issues with the coach of the team. But I can't remember the actual reasons, though..

 

[cohen2]

Personally I don't feel sympathy for this coach since he was in the head of Barcelona at the times, when Artūras Karnišovas was playing there during his first campaign in Catalunya. Karni's first year there was brilliant, but in the second he started to feel some issues with the coach of the team. But I can't remember the actual reasons, though..

Because after the Atlanta games Karnisovas was the best player of Europe but started the season playing so badly that the team sucked (no help by the other foreigner, Andrei Fetissov).

In order to change that, the club acquired Djordjevic and Jerrod Mustaf and manage to win the ACB title against Dejan Bodiroga's Real Madrid and to reach the Euroleague final, where Djordjevic was detroyed by David Rivers.

Karnisovas did a nice job in both competitions as a second star.

The following year Manel Comas replaced Karnisovas with Marcelo Nicola and that was a very cruel change. Great mistake.

Aito then signed Gurovic and after their problemas, Karnisovas was back to Barcelona for his last two seasons as a professional.

Anyway, I think Pepu should've been fired after the Eurobasket. He is not a bad coach but is far away from being a good coach for this excellent generation of players. Aito is a much better option.

I also think that the players don't give a fuck about him being fired. Navarro and Gasol were very bad used by Pepu and everybody knows they are the best players of Spain and the ones who had given their best for the Spain NT.

And they are Aito's kids...

 

[rikhardur2]

Anyway, I think Pepu should've been fired after the Eurobasket. He is not a bad coach but is far away from being a good coach for this excellent generation of players. Aito is a much better option.

I also think that the players don't give a fuck about him being fired. Navarro and Gasol were very bad used by Pepu and everybody knows they are the best players of Spain and the ones who had given their best for the Spain NT.

And they are Aito's kids...

Well but Gasol and Navarro aren't the only players in the NT. They might be the most important, but this NT worked as a team, not based on individual players. Nontheless, I'm sure the rest of the players were satisfied with Aíto's choice as well. I like him too.
As for Pepu, he just won a Copa del Rey at club level if I'm not mistaken, but that doesn't make him any less of a coach. He is world champion, very few can claim that. If a coach is world champion and gets a silver medal at Eurobasket and he isn't a good coach, then I don't know what it is to be one

 

[damelo2]

Well, just remember the ones really winning are the players...

Pepu was a player's coach, I don't know much about Aito but that he seems to have coached most of Spain's great talents. And it may seal the deal about third PG: Ricky is in.

Anyway, Pepu was great coach for this team full of stars knowing each other quite well.

 

[porompompero2]

Anyway, I think Pepu should've been fired after the Eurobasket. He is not a bad coach but is far away from being a good coach for this excellent generation of players. Aito is a much better option.

I also think that the players don't give a fuck about him being fired. Navarro and Gasol were very bad used by Pepu and everybody knows they are the best players of Spain and the ones who had given their best for the Spain NT.

And they are Aito's kids...

Pepu's a good coach for this generation of players and He's proven it: World champion, european runner up and a high level of play. Anyway, I agree García-Reneses is the best option of the market, better than Pepu in the NT? we'll see. About the players, I'm pretty sure the players yes give a fuck, but they just don't say that to the press. And it's logical they would act this way. It's better not to create a bad environment at the doors of the Olympic games. Gasol and Navarro the best? Maybe, but one thing that did this National Team so great is that the National Team is over every single player, so you can win a World Championship final whitout Gasol.