18.11.2008, 02:47
Villaldea warns: "We cannot fail now"

The Portland coach knows that they have not qualified yet, but top player Malmagro cannot help Portland any more this year.

Villaldea warns: "We cannot fail now"

The victory of Portland put the Spanish team in a very good position to reach the Main Round of the Champions League. The match on Saturday will decide over the fate of Portland when they need to beat Koper. This seems to be possible for Portland on home court, however, there will be a lot of pressure on the team.

Steaua and Chehovskie will fight for the other place in Russia.

“We know that took a very important victory from Romania, but everything is not done yet. We have to beat Cimos Koper and it will not be easy either. It is true that we took the most difficult step, but we cannot fail at home,” Portland coach Villaldea said.

Despite the air of optimism, there are also problems in Pamplona. Malmagro, Dominikovic and Jorgensen suffer from injuries and Villaldea must find out something new for every game. He says:

“I am proud of my team because they are fighting every game until the last minutes. I hope we can prove it again at the weekend. We cannot make a mistake now”.

The victory in Romania gave a lot of joy for the players and fans of Pamplona. Villaldea warns everyone:

“They have beaten us in Slovenia. I expect a different game in Pamplona, but it will be difficult for us. They will play in Spain and the players know exactly what an important opportunity this is for them to call the attention of the Spanish teams.”

Malmagro: the year ends

There is no quick remedy for the physical problems of Malmagro. His back injury will not allow him any more to play this year. The medical staff of Portland decided that the Catalonian player must stop trainings with his mates. Malmagro will train alone in the gym and try to recover completely.

His back problems began at the Olympic Games of Beijing. The Spanish right back finished this tournament with difficulties and returned to Portland in a bad form. He tried to play games at the beginning of the season, but it was impossible for hime. It is a great problem for Villaldea too, because Malmagro was the best player of the last Asobal League season.

TEXT: Fernando Urra Goni