Interview with notatol

dembol: First of all I would like to congratulate you your gold medal at the World Cup! Did you expect this? What was the most important factor in your team? Why did you win?

notatol : Thanks a lot :) Once i was selected, and after giving a look to our players and the 20-25 NT with highest rate, i was sure we had a real chance to win the gold medal, as i didn`t see any team much stronger than ours. So since the begining, our goal was to do semifinals, and getting there, anything could happen. Fortunately, we won, but there were some others NT close to win as well.

I think the most important factor in our team was that probably was the deepest one of all teams. We had many very good players in almost all positions, and all of them played their role til the last rounds. Probably we were the least predictable team of all, even though we finished playing with the same 9-10 players for last 5 matches.

Why we won? We had that bit of luck that in the end is neccesary :) We cannot forget that we only won by 2 points a dead or live match against Lithuania in the second phase of the WC, for example. From then on, i think we played our best basketball, and our opponents tried to adapt to us much more than we did, and that was another key factor, in my opinion.

And we had a great support behind us :) We could not fail them. Their faith on us was really helpul!

dembol : Which team was you toughest opponent and why?

notatol : We had many great opponents, but i should say Italy, as he reached the final :) And they really had a great team. Apartr from Italy, France was really hard to beat. We only did it after an extraordinary last quarter, and having starting really bad. Lithuania was really hard as well, in an anticipated final as we both needed to win to go on. And finally, i will never forget the way Croatia destroyed us. Awesome performance by then!

dembol : Before the quarterfinals your team lost a few matches. What did you think then?

notatol You never like to lose a match, nor at least when you prepare it to win :). Friendly matches never worried us. We did not play levelled, nor with players with cero fatigue. We used friendly matches to share experience among roster and to try some different things, but never worry about result.

If we talk about official matches, we lost 4 matches: Canada in qualification phase, Turkey and Greece in first WC phase, and Croatia in second WC phase.

Honestly, all those defeats hurt, but the first two (Canada and Turkey) were partly due to taking known risks, and always thinking than if losing, those defeats would not have any effect for qualification. In turkey's case we almost fail in our prediction, and that could have been a catastrophe for us if they qualify to next round (which they had done if they had won Estonia in their last match).

Losing against Greece was indeed hurtful, and not desired at all, as we knew it was important for next phase, but we made some risking changes and made a couple of decisions that meant our defeat (and Greece played a great match). At that moment we had doubts about team behaviour, but was not critical yet, as we knew how to do better in future.

The hardest defeat, with not doubt, was the one against Croatia. A really important match, that we prepared really hard, and we were blown from the court!!!! We had an important missing player (Zacarias Cobo) and Antunez got injured really soon, but even though, was really impacting for us. At that moment, we lost all our confidence, and really thought we need to change drastically if we wanted to get far on the tournament. Probably, that defeat was a key factor for our victory in the end, as we made some critical decisions, about players and tactics that worked really well and drove us to the gold medal.

dembol : Which players you needed most? Why?

notatol : All players were important and played their role, but not doubt the 8-10 player with which we played the last 5 matches were most important for us.

In our case, Juane was really important, as he played an offensive role from the PG, either passing or scoring, that gave us huge versatility.

Zacarias Cobo was very important as well, as he was the only player with decent height to play SG, something basic against some opponents.

And of Course, the duet Antunez-Macias gave us high balance inside, either offensive and defensively.

And Rodriguez & Hueso were key players at the SF, as their gave the team the defensive and rebound balance we needed.

dembol : The attitude of which team was a surprise for you? Could you please explain it?

notatol : I could not say for sure, our team was the only one that really worried me, and our inmediate opponents :)

But in positive, i would say Croatian performance has been awesome, for me the most well-worked and managed team of all.

In negative....i prefer to keep that for me :)

dembol : What do you think about the play of Polish team in the World Cup?

notatol : They had a great team, one of the favorite's for the gold medal, but had the bad luck to lose in a very close match against a really great team, Croatia. But till them, Poland made a great tournament, even though they were luck with their first WC group. But getting the last 8 is not a bad outcome, even though they could aspire to win a medal.

One thing surprised me about polish team. They leaved 21 yo players really late, in my opinion, at the end of the first season. I respect it, but maybe they should have played those late friendly matches with only players that were going to stay on NT the second season....But i am talking on memory, they might have stayed on roster but not participate on those late friendlies, i don't remember clearly.

If spain had done the polish tournament, i would had thoght: "we made a dignified tournament. we did not excelled, but we did the QF".

dembol : What atmosphere prevailed in the Spanish squad? Is no one despaired after losing in the round of group?

notatol : Probably there were few, but they kept silent, and that was really helpul, as we could just concentrate on playing, and did not get lose on discussions :)

However, most spanish community supported us actively even when it seemed we could be getting out of the tournament, and we have always deeply appreciated it. It was really helpful, indeed.

dembol : The following season belongs to the senior World Cup. Who do you think will win? Spain seems to be strong.

notatol I am really confident Grimo will do something great :) However, we can not forget about other great teams as USA, Rumania, Slovenia,......and sure we will see a surprising team (Italy, France.....).

dembol : On your team I see many young players. Are you planning to develop your club around them?

notatol : I don`t knom yet. Last season i decided to concentrate on NT, so i sold everything an bought some young players to develope them, but i am still deciding what to do :) Probably i will wait till i get a key player, do not know what age, to build a team around him

dembol : Do you plan to candidate again?

notatol : Honestly, i don't know. I have enjoyed a lot the experience, but it means a lot of hard work, much more than i expected before being selected. NT means a big compromise, in my opinion, as the team you manage is not your team, but it represents a whole country (even if this a game). People deserves respect, information, communication, managers deserve sharing information with them, discussing training plans,.........and that means a lot of hard-work.

But if i stay in Charazay for a few more seasons, i have a feeling that i will give it a try in future again :)

dembol : Please choose best starting five which played in the previous World Cup.

notatol : Pufff, i think we talk about imposibles, but.....

PG: Juane

SG: Ampadiotakis / Guldupas

SF: Macek

PF: Antunez / Kralj

C: Barbazza / Rummens / Kabacs

Other cracks should have their recognition too : Robert, Chaves, Blimel, Macias, Meestrendorp, Lauls.............

dembol : Do you like changes in the game?

notatol : Next question, please :) I like games that evolution steadily.....but i am not sure Charazay is doing so...

dembol : What do you like and dislike in CBM?

notatol : Like: the engine (is worse than before, but i prefer it to other online games i know), the forums, the people (we are like an small family.....)

Dislike: The lack of communication from bosses, the latest evolution of the game, the incoherence in the way the game is being managed, and some american NT coach attitude....

dembol : Now, something about you. Please introduce yourself, how old you are, where do you live, where do you work?

notatol : I am almost 39, i live in a little but lovely village close to Bilbao (north of Spain). About my job, i prefer to keep it for me, but i can tell you i manage an industry with 150 people depending on me....

dembol : What was the idea for the nickname and the name of your team?

notatol : My nickname comes with me since i started to participate in internet forums. I decided it after having continuous arguments with another man in an economic forum (Notatol comes from "Not At All").

The name of my team is relatively new. I changed it a couple of seasons ago, and has something to do with my likes for spirits drinks (Gin-Tonic). It's a wordplay :)

dembol : I'm sure you follow the NBA. Who will be the champion?

notatol : Don't know who will be the champion, but i go with Celtics :)))) Gogogo, Celtics go

dembol : Are you interested in other sports beside the basketball?

notatol : Sure, i like football and tennis and sky. I practice all of them, even though i am not i very skillful :)

dembol : Barcelona or Real? Why?

notatol : None. Athletic Bilbao :) Why????? You should know people from Bilbao, jajaja.

dembol Do you have any advice for new players?

notatol : Be patient, do no spend money in the begining, get a tutor, read the manual, learn this game and enjoy it :) And of course, as soon as you have a valuable player, get a coach!

dembol : Thank you for the interview

notatol : Thanks to you, and good luck to Poland in next NT compromises :)