Spain head coach Chus Mateo spoke about Aday Mara, who is very likely to make his senior national team debut on Friday against Portugal. Mateo praised the young center’s development, saying he has followed a path typical of someone who promises to become an important player in the future.
Mateo spoke to the media at the Príncipe de Zaragoza Arena, where Spain will face Portugal on Friday at 9:00 p.m. in one of the two games scheduled during the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying window.
For Mara, the potential debut would be particularly special. The center could make his first appearance for Spain’s senior national team in his hometown and at the arena where he played during his time with Casademont Zaragoza.
According to Mateo, the work being done with Mara and Spain’s other young players is focused not only on the present, but also on building the future of the national team.
“Now we have a few years ahead of us in which we hope to reap the rewards of what has been planted, thanks to the good work of Spanish clubs and Spanish coaches,” Mateo said.
The Spain coach also highlighted the significance of Mara potentially making his debut in front of his home crowd, describing it as “the best possible scenario.” However, he stressed that the player had to work and sacrifice a great deal to reach this point.
Mateo also referred to Mara’s first two years in the United States, which “were not easy for him,” before reaching a major milestone by becoming the first Spanish player to win the NCAA, the U.S. college basketball championship.
However, Mateo urged caution when discussing Mara and Spain’s other young talents. Their development, he believes, must be allowed to take place at the right pace.
“As with him, we also have to be cautious with the other young players and be patient. We have allowed them to mature at their own pace, and each of them will have their moment, because they are truly players of a very high level,” Mateo concluded.
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