ESP – All eyes in Spain on World Cup clash with Germany

MADRID (2010 FIBA World Championship) - All of Spain will be watching the country’s World Cup semi-final showdown with Germany on Wednesday night, and that includes the basketball players that will later this summer go after a second straight gold medal at the FIBA World Championship.

The two countries met in the final of Euro 2008 and Spain won that encounter, but Germany have been on a great run in South Africa and many are predicting they will win Wednesday’s game.

Perhaps no Spanish player is as keen to see his country win as Barcelona scoring machine Juan Carlos Navarro, who is friends of some of the players.

"It's a great team in every aspect,” Navarro said.

“I have the luck to know personally some of the players because they are colleagues at my club and I desire for them to be champions because they deserve it, because of the effort and sacrifice."

Jorge Garbajosa of Real Madrid is also keen to see some of his football colleagues do well.

"They have talent, commitment, professionalism and quality, ingredients that transform a group in a championship team just as they managed to do two years ago in the European Championship,” he said.

“They have transmitted hope and they have managed for the whole of Spain to be watching them on TV. I congratulate them for what they have done up to now."

Jose Calderon, another of Spain’s gold-medal heroes from Japan, said: “I am following their games and each time I see them better.

"I think we can beat Germany again just as we did two years ago, but they will be a more difficult rival."

Germany have been in such good form that they thrashed Argentina 4-0 in their last game, while Spain endured an almighty struggle to get past Paraguay in their quarter-final.

FIBA