Head Coach: Isidoro Martinez Martin

 

Key Players: Adrian Fernandez Clemente (Left Back), Alvaro Del Valle Navasa (Right Back)

 

Road to Qualification: Group 7 winners – European qualification

 

History in Tournament: 1977: 4th, 1979: Did Not Participate, 1981: 10th, 1983: 9th, 1985: 10th, 1987: 2nd, 1989: 2nd, 1991: 4th, 1993: 9th, 1995: 2nd, 1997: 5th, 1999: 6th, 2001: 2nd, 2003: 4th, 2005: 5th, 2007: 5th, 2009: 8th, 2011: 5th, 2013: 2nd 

 

Overview: Spain are always the bridesmaid and never the bride at U21 Men’s World Championships. They have taken home the silver medal five times, the most recent in 2013 when they lost to Sweden 28:23 in Sarajevo. Their most heart-breaking final loss was in 1989 against the Soviet Union at home in Spain.

 

In their three-team qualification group (Group 7) for Brazil, Spain won both their matches, against Ukraine (31:23) and neighbours Portugal (28:22).

 

Left back Adrian Fernandez Clemente scored 11 goals in those two games. The Gijón Jovellanos player with just 24 international appearances to his name will be looking to the experienced Alvaro Del Valle Navasa, as the established BM Aragon right back has already made 49 appearances at international level.

 

Spain’s provisional 28-man squad features three players from the VELUX EHF Champions League 2015 winning side, FC Barcelona, including right back Alejandro Marque Coloma who played in the final against MKB-MVM Veszprem in Cologne.

 

Head Coach Isidoro Martinez is looking to take the hardest step in Brazil – from runners-up to winners.

 

The former Reale Ademar Leon coach is enjoying his second spell as the Spanish junior coach following his work with them between 2009 and 2011. Throughout his career as Spanish national team head coach Martinez has directed the Spain youth team in 18 matches, reaching 4th place in the 2013 European Championship, as well as coached the junior national team in 84 matches, winning the bronze medal in the 2014 European Championship.

 

“We are on the same level as Serbia,” said Martinez about his Group B opponents in Brazil. “Romania have Dan Emil Racotea – the best left back of his generation.

 

“We know Portugal well from our qualifying campaign, but they have taken the place of a team from Oceania, so the difference we now face is huge.

 

“Angola is, in principle, the weakest opponent in our group and Qatar are an emerging team, but of course, we know Montoya well,” said Martinez about the Qatar assistant coach and former assistant coach to the Spanish men’s national team, Manolo Montoya Fernandez, who moved to Asia with head coach Valero Rivera.

 

To prepare, the Spanish squad started their first stage of selection toward the end of June, meeting up at the National Sports Council of Spain.

 

The team then faced what the coach called a "tough and demanding tournament," at the ‘Airport Trophy’ International Men’s Handball Junior Tournament (http://www.airport-trophy.ch/). Spain lost to Germany, defeated hosts Switzerland and beat France at the tournament in Kloten at the end of June.

 

Next Spain will meet Portugal in a double-header in Leon and Bembibre on the 10th and 11th of July, which also represents the second stage of squad selection, before leaving for Brazil a week later.

 

The Spanish national teams are regular users of social media and, through their official Twitter account (@RFEBalonmano) have created the hashtag #HispanosJunior for Brazil 2015.

 

You can also get behind-the-scenes with their players in Brazil by following them on their personal Twitter accounts:

 

Adrian Fernandez: @adri9fdez

Aleix Gomez: @Aleixgomez11

Carlos Calle: @CCallelobo

Diego Pineiro: @DiegoPinheiro11

Ignacio Biosca: @nachobiosca

Ignacio Plaza: @nacheto_plaza

Jon Azkue: @jonazkue25

Miguel Sanchez-Migallon: @MiguelSanchezBm

 

Group at Brazil 2015:

Group B: Spain, Qatar, Romania, Portugal, Serbia and Angola

 

Games at Brazil 2015:

All times local

Monday 20 July:           ESP-QAT (16:15)

Wednesday 22 July:        ANG-ESP (18:30)

Thursday 23 July:         ESP-POR (20:45)

Saturday 25 July:         SRB-ESP (17:45)

Sunday 26 July:           ESP-ROU (20:45)