Report by our greek collaborator Yannis Mostrios

2 days with Lobelle

A weekend with the Spanish team Autos Lobelle de Santiago can be reason enough for anyone to get even more attached to the sport of futsal. In yet two days one can experience the magnitude of the game just by observing the way the Spanish work. Along with Jose Maria Pazos Pulpis (head coach of Lobelle) and Venancio Lopez (technical director of Lobelle) we travelled to the world of futsal at its best and I personally found out there is so much more than luck in achieving success.

Santiago de Compostela is one of the four provinces of Galicia and a city rich in Spanish history. While the city is filled each year with pilgrims eager to walk the “Camino de Santiago” (more than 100km distance!), the city has one more reason to be proud of. The city’s futsal team has overcome a lot in its path to reach where they are right now. Since its foundation in 1975 the team has worked long and hard and invested much time and effort. Being considered one of the best teams in the league and having won the latest Copa de Espana, Lobelle is about to embark this weekend on their first goal of the season, the Supercopa. The team uses the “Multiusos Fontes do Sar” Pavillion which fits 5,500 people. The venue is fully equipped with 2 gyms, 2 pools, a physiotherapy clinic and lots of room for every possible activity. The team is also equipped with everything professional teams need, even a psychologist who helps players cope with a very demanding year. The coaching staff does everything in their power to study each opponent and be best prepared for each game. Professionalism and dedication for the sport is what drives the technical team of Lobelle, to be considered one of the best in the continent.

Many think that the difference between the Spanish league and the rest of the world is the level of its players; very few know the amount of organization that comes behind each team. Of course if you ask Pulpis he will tell you that it is the level of his players that helps them achieve so many things, but for an outsider the amount of work invested in the game is what seems to make all the difference. But if there is one thing one can be taught from Lobelle de Santiago is how professional they are in every aspect of their organization. At the same time the people of Santiago de Compostela seem to have embraced their team which looks to be in excellent shape for this year’s marathon which starts this week. For the rest of us especially the less developed in the sport, there are quite a few lessons to be learned there and maybe this kind of cooperation is what the sport needs to start improving in more and more countries.
Jose gracias para todo, que tienes buena suerte en toda su vida, y para este ano que Lobelle va a salir Campeon en todas las competiciones y los retos.
Un abrazo grande!




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com