To endorse their character, shore up their hierarchy, and mark territory, Lucas Mondelo used a recurring phrase with his players. “I am from Hospitalet and I die killing”. Along these lines, the 54-year-old former coach of the women’s basketball team launched himself on Tuesday to respond “forcefully” to the testimony of Marta Xargay and, at the same time, to dismiss as “inadmissible” the actions of the Spanish Federation and its president, Jorge Garbajosa, in handling the case; denouncing a “harassment” campaign against him.
On Monday, Xargay revealed that he suffered bulimia in the final stretch of his career as a result of Mondelo’s treatment –”There are limits that must not be crossed and he took me to a very heavy. This caused me a physical and mental revolution ”, the player explained in her testimony to EL PAÍS-. The Federation came out in defense of Xargay, arguing that it knew of the existence of the interview since before the Games, but not the seriousness of the events that were related in it. However, the FEB acknowledged having identified “a deterioration in the relationship between the coach and the players”, and condemned Mondelo, who had been dismissed two days earlier “for not achieving sporting objectives.” This Tuesday, after taking a few days, as explained in its statement, Mondelo exercised its right to reply.
MORE INFORMATION
“I want to express my total rejection, surprise and consternation at the alleged responsibilities attributed to me regarding the alleged medical situations of Marta Xargay. As well as the accusation of alleged improper conduct in the performance of my job as a coach, both at Dinamo de Kursk (2018-19 season) and in the Spanish basketball team ”, the text by Lucas Mondelo begins. “Martha [Xargay] has worked with me from 2009 to 2020, (in the Spanish team, Perfumerías Avenida and Kursk) always having a relationship of cordiality, closeness and professionalism manifested by both parties in multiple interviews, messages and audios of WhatsApp, among which I highlight the one that he sent me in May 2020 when he announced his break in basketball and that I keep with the affection reciprocated between both of them ”, explains the former selector, who has toured his mobile phone and the newspaper library to look for phrases that he exposes as defense charges.
“By way of illustration, Marta declared to the magazine Giants on 12/21/2020: ‘I am quite a distant person who does not let himself be known much. But Mondelo has succeeded, we have a good relationship because we like to win ”, details Mondelo in one of his documentary findings, before reviewing his sports biography and achievements together with Xargay. And the coach continues: “I have been able to be a participant in most of his successes in his professional life and it was my personal choice to accompany me on the adventure at Dinamo Kursk. In this regard, indicate that I was only at Dinamo Kursk for one season, unlike Marta, who was one more year ”, he points out, when in fact he spent three seasons with the Russian team, from which he left after the year in which he agreed. with Xargay. “I have always held Marta in high esteem, treated with the utmost respect and admired for her performance, within the demanding preparation and high goals set, many of them achieved, in the most successful period of the FEB for women’s basketball. ”Mondelo explains.
After justifying himself, Mondelo prolongs his defense by attacking the Spanish Federation. “The official statement of the FEB seems inadmissible to me, as well as the statements of its president, Jorge Garbajosa, which are not true,” Mondelo begins in that section of the statement. “Although the president knew that these statements were going to be published, nothing was communicated to me. In addition, to this day the president has not contacted me to know my opinion, that of his absolute national coach, on this serious matter, taking for truth some manifestations that do not conform to reality, with violation of rights fundamental and with the clear objective of damaging my reputation as much as possible, all within the harassment campaign to which I am being subjected, after the renewal of my contract until 2024, both before and after the announcement of my dismissal ”, details Mondelo, who still speaks as a national coach, since he announces that his dismissal after the Games will be “effective” as of November 6.
In the last two points of his writing, Mondelo relies on the federative structure to validate its methods and distribute responsibilities regarding the care and treatment of the players. “Both in the Kursk and in the FEB, they are subjected to exhaustive medical examinations and planning and monitoring by the biomedical area, both for injuries, physical situation, nutrition and any other aspect that may condition their sports performance,” says the coach. “At no time have I been warned by Kursk, or by the FEB, or by the player, or by the medical services, or by anyone from the FEB structure of any type of anomaly that led to the serious events of which accuses me. In addition, it should be noted that the responsibility for feeding the players does not correspond to the coach but to the medical services of the FEB or the club, which I reiterate, they never told me that the player suffered from any disorder ”, details Mondelo, who in his last point He seeks again the endorsement of the federation of his work in these years as an argument for defense and attack. “All the planning and execution of the work methods implemented by me in the last 11 years at the FEB are approved by the Sports Directorate and by the president, having always received praise and congratulations from them,” concludes Lucas’ statement. Mondelo.
You can follow EL PAÍS DEPORTES in Facebook and Twitter, or sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.