Euro Final 8, Spain lifts their ‘Twelfth’. Carraro: “They are the best and deserve it, but the growth behind them is clear”

Here it is, Spain’s ‘Twelfth’ men’s title, thanks to an Alex Ruiz inspired by the home crowd and his “one shot one kill” smash. And also to an Esbri who was less flashy but very solid in the key moments against the Deus brothers, who are always an example of fight, skill and strength. The 6-4 7-5 in the first match of the FIP Euro Padel Cup between Spain and Portugal shows how the two green-red brothers played until the end, even getting close to the surprise win. But Spain is Spain and, besides their clear technical superiority, they also have that winning DNA that no one else has. At least for now.

PLAZA DE TOROS ON FIRE And there it is, the Twelfth – the 12th European title won in 14 editions by the men’s team – together with the victory of Iciar Montes’ girls. Yes, double Spain with a perfect ending thanks to a spectacular Leal and a strong Cepero in front of their home crowd, who beat in two sets (6-4 6-4) the semifinal heroes against Italy, Araujo and Graça. The atmosphere was amazing. In the VIP stands was the president of the Spanish Padel Federation (FEP), Ramon Morcillo, who took his seat after celebrating the women’s title with calm elegance next to the president of the FIP, Luigi Carraro, who came down to the court to greet the French finalists and the Spanish champions before the official ceremony. Around the central court, the stands of the Plaza de Toros were a show in themselves. The fans made stadium noise: drums, flags, banners, and the roar of the home crowd followed every winning point of the red-shirted players. There was also a loud Portuguese group cheering happily for their team in a fun and festive atmosphere. When the Spanish fans sang the national anthem it was a goosebump moment, one to tell your friends about the next day. And Portugal? As strong as they were in the World Championship in Doha. The great thing about these boys in green is that there’s never a match where they don’t give one hundred percent. They have great commitment, team spirit, and love for their shirt — an example for everyone. And the European final was clearly well deserved. In the end, the strongest team, Spain, won. But there are other things to notice in this great first edition of the Final 8 of the FIP Euro Padel Cup: for many players from the finalist countries, how many chances do they have to face stars like the two Ruiz, Gala or Esbri? These are the moments to learn from their technical and tactical solutions, to improve beyond results, to see how the top players play and try to learn from them.

And not only that, as the president of the FIP, Luigi Carraro, said: “A Final 8 of FIP Euro Padel Cup that enters history. Spain won both titles, they remain the strongest team in Europe for both men and women, and they deserve our most sincere congratulations, because beyond their victories they are an example for everyone. Behind Spain, however, there are countries that keep showing high level, like Portugal, France or Italy, and others like the Netherlands and Belgium that reached the historic goal of a semifinal. And I must say I also saw growth from Sweden, the UK, and Germany. The global growth of padel is clear to everyone, in Europe and in the world, and this pushes us to work and improve more every day.” Spain won, long live Spain, but behind them something is moving. Definitely.