EHF EURO 2014 shall become Spain’s first step towards Rio 2016

The Spanish women’s national team, nicknamed ‘guerreras’ (eng. warriors), arrives at the EHF EURO with a straightforward goal: finish among the top 5.

At the EHF EURO events in 2010 and 2012 the ’guerreras’ finished 11th on both occasions, but it is something the team has long forgotten and something that they want to put behind them as they have the 2016 Olympics as long-term goal in their minds.

Spain were at their highest in 2011 and 2012 when they won bronze first at the World Championship and one year later at the Olympic Games, and even though the team has undergone some changes since, the core and the head coach, Jorge Duenas, has stayed the same.

At the EHF EURO 2014 Spain will face Hungary, Russia and Poland in a quite difficult and competitive Group A.

Hungary as hosts enjoy the home advantage, they also won bronze at the EHF EURO 2012.

Poland made it to the semi-finals at the World Championship 2013 in Serbia and Russia “is always difficult (to beat)”, as left wing Elisabeth Pinedo simply puts it.

In the lead-up to the EHF EURO Spain played a test tournament in Tunisia, where they lost to Netherlands (23:24) but beat Switzerland (33:23). The third match against Tunisia was called off midway because of poor court conditions.

The team has currently gathered again to finalise their preparations. They will play Poland, Tunisia and world champions Brazil at the end of this month before they embark for the EHF EURO.

Pinedo's SWOT analysis

"We want to do a play good championship. We haven’t played very well in Tunisia, also because of the court, but I think we have been training very well and will arrive in a good shape at the EHF EURO," says Pinedo, who plays club handball for EHF Cup participants Balonmano Bera Bera

"Our group is very difficult, but I don’t know if I would change it, because the other groups are difficult, too.

"Of course, we would like to have more time to prepare this competition, but is impossible, because we have a lot of games with our clubs.

"We have to prepare individually to arrive in perfect condition at the beginning of the EHF EURO and (our coach) Jorge Dueñas constantly gives us advice for doing so.”

10 of the 18 players currently selected (16 will eventually make the first final cut) play outside of Spain, but for Pinedo this is not a problem.

"It’s true that the ideal situation would be that all of us played in the same league, but most of the players have been together for years in the Spanish team.

"I don’t think this has an impact on the way we play."

Pinedo does not need long to point out what makes the ‘guerreras’ a force to reckon with.

"Our strengths? Our character. We want to claim back every ball we lost. Every time we fight until the end.

"Each of us adds to the team no matter whether someone plays more or less minutes. This is the success recipe of the ‘guerreras’.

"As for our weaknesses: We are our worst enemy. If one of us doesn’t play well, everyone doesn’t play well. I think it’s because we are a strong group."

"Our aim is to be in the top 5 of the EHF EURO as such a rank increases our chances to reach the qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games.

"We aim to reach the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and we have the EHF EURO and the World Championship to get closer to this.

"When Jorge Duenas started coaching Spain, nobody trusted us and the expectations were low.

"Through hard work and self-belief, we have built a very good group of player. In these seven years we’ve been going quite far and I hope our journey hasn’t come to the end yet.”

The Spanish squad for the Women's EHF EURO 2014:

Goalkeepers: Silvia Navarro (BM. Remundas), Ana Temprano (Bera Bera), Cristina González (CLEBA)

Left wings: Elisabeth Pinedo (Bera Bera), Naiara Egozkue (Mecalia Atletico Guardés)

Right wings: Carmen Martín (CSM Bucaresti), Marta Lopez (Fleury Loiret)

Left backs: Alexandrina Barbosa (Fleury Loiret), Beatriz Fernandez (Fleury Loiret), Lara Gonzalez (Metz), Nerea Pena (FTC Rail Cargo)

Right backs: Marta Mangue (Fleury Loiret), Patricia Elorza (Bera Bera)

Centre backs: Beatriz Escribano (OGC Nice), Macarena Aguilar (Györi Audi ETO KC)

Line players: Ainhoa Hernandez (Prosetecnisa Zuazo), Eli Chávez (OGC Nice), María Nunez (Bera Bera)