The Onze de Setembre pavilion of Lleida hosts this Saturday the Final Four of the Europe Cup of roller hockey, with Pons Lleida as one of the main focuses of attention. The Lleida team faces HRC Monza in semifinals starting at 17:30 hours, in an event that comes with a great occasion atmosphere and with the local team seeking a new continental final.
The Pons Lleida faces its seventh Final Four and does so on a rink it knows well. The club already lifted the Europe Cup in the 2018, 2019, and 2021 editions, a trajectory that places it as one of the benchmarks of the competition. Facing it will be an HRC Monza that is experiencing an unprecedented moment, since the Italian club, founded in 2013, is participating for the first time in a European final phase.
A cross with local experience and Italian ambition
The coach of Llista, Edu Amat, defines the opponent as "a young team with quality" and foresees an even semifinal. The coach insists that it will be "an open match" and asks that the environmental factor does not become a burden for his team.
"It should not be an extra pressure" - Edu Amat, coach of Llista
"That the responsibility not weigh us down" - Edu Amat, coach of Llista
Amat also appealed to the accumulated experience by the club in this type of scenarios. He recalled that playing in Lleida can be an advantage, although it also demands to manage well the competitive context.
"Here we have won finals, but we have also lost them and this is a learning experience" - Edu Amat, coach of Llista
From the Italian side, the coach of Monza, Iván Jaquierz, faces the duel with respect and ambition. The coach considers it special to face one of the most consolidated teams in the tournament, although he makes it clear that his team is not traveling to Lleida just to compete.
"It is a privilege to face Llista" - Iván Jaquierz, Monza coach
"They have already won a lot, now it's our turn" - Iván Jaquierz, Monza coach
Good pace of ticket sales at the Onze de Setembre
The event has started to move the fans in Lleida. For the semifinal of Pons Lleida against Monza, more than 330 tickets have been sold for Lleida fans and 10 for the area of the Italian team, with a price of 15 euros. The other semifinal, which faces Calafell and Juventude Pacense, is around 250 tickets sold.
The captain of Pons Lleida, Sergi Duch, put the focus on the role of the stands in a day marked by the home court factor.
"Excitement to play at home, because the fans are a point in our favor" - Sergi Duch, captain of Pons Lleida
Matchday with more matches in Lleida key
Beyond the Europe Cup, Lleida hockey also has other fronts open this Saturday. Vila sana can secure first place in the regular phase of the OK Liga Femenina if it beats Mieres in the match scheduled for 20:00 hours. Before, at 17:30 hours, Alpicat faces Sant Cugat, also in the OK Liga Femenina.
Lleida thus experiences a day of maximum activity in roller hockey, with the Onze de Setembre as the epicenter of a Final Four that returns Pons Lleida to a known stage and that will immediately measure its real aspiration to fight again for another European title.