Tenerife Echeyde Begins Conference Cup Journey in Greece
Tenerife Echeyde's men's water polo team travels to Greece for their fourth European journey, competing in the new Conference Cup with the goal of advancing from their group despite recent league defeat and player absences.
The Tenerife Echeyde men's water polo team is embarking on its fourth European journey today, competing in a new tournament: the Conference Cup. Coach Albert Español's squad, currently eighth in their league, travels to Greece. They're looking to bounce back from a narrow 12-11 defeat against Rubí on Tuesday, with a clear goal: finish among the top two in their group to advance.
To achieve this, the Tenerife team will play three matches in this initial phase. First, they face Montenegrin Budva today at 4:30 PM. Tomorrow, also at 4:30 PM, they'll take on the Greek hosts, Panionios. Finally, they'll play German team White Sharks Hannover on Sunday at 8:30 AM.
For this European challenge, which can be watched with a subscription on the European Aquatics website, Echeyde will be without goalkeeper Davor Skokandic and injured striker Javier Gorría. However, skilled and experienced players from the reserve team, Ferran Soriano and Javier Espinosa, are joining the squad. They will reinforce a roster that includes key players like American Luis Araya, the team's top scorer with 13 goals in the domestic league; captain and defender Nacho Gutiérrez; Basque player Iker González; Álex Andión; youth player Pablo Díaz; new signings such as goalkeeper Héctor Martínez and Dutchman Tom De Weerd; and center forward Diego Mercado, among others.
Mexican player Diego Mercado explained, "Losing the other day was tough, but we need to change our mindset and approach this new opportunity with enthusiasm and determination. It's a different tournament, and we're excited to play and compete hard." He added that they are familiar with two of their opponents, having faced them before. They played Panionios in both the Eurocup and the Nordic League, losing both matches. They also met Hannover in last May's Final Eight on the island, securing a victory. "The Greeks are playing at a very high level in a top league and are, on paper, the strongest. With the Germans, our experience from the Nordic League showed it was an even match decided at the very end," Mercado noted.
Regarding Montenegrin Budva, Mercado admitted they "don't have many references." He stated, "But we will prepare as best as possible for that debut to secure a win and start the tournament well." Echeyde's main objective remains clear: to qualify for the next phase and continue their dream of replicating their historic 2022 Challenger Cup run, where they reached the semifinals.