CARLOS MOYA NOT HAPPY WITH NEW SPANISH DAVIS CUP CAPTAIN , NONE OF THE TEAM UNDERSTAND THE APPOINTMENT , WHO OWED WHO A FAVOR ?
epa04413707 Former Spanish tennis player Gala Leon poses for pictures during her presentation as the new captain of the Spanish Davis Cup team in Seville, south-western Spain, 23 September 2014. Spain on 22 Septemeber 2014 appointed a female Davis Cup captain, one of only five in the recorded history of the top national team tournament in tennis. Leon, 40, won one WTA in her career as a tennis professional, in Madrid in 1997, and achieved a career-high ranking of 27. She is the current sports director for the Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET). EPA/RAUL CARO |
Spain’s former No. 1 Carlos Moya is concerned that the Spanish Davis Cup coaching drama rumbles on two months after it was announced that a near-unknown former WTA journeywoman player had been appointed to head the macho Iberian men’s squad in the worldwide team competition.
Moya, one-time mentor to Rafael Nadal, said that the decision to bring Gala Leon aboard continues to grate with the squad. He said dissatisfaction was due mainly in the way the decision was made – behind closed doors in the federation – and without any input from players, coaches or others much more familiar with the men’s side of the game.
Spain’s Roberto Bautista-Agut (L) sits next to Spanish Davis Cup team captain Carlos Moya (R) during a break of his match against Germany’s Daniel Brands during the Davis Cup World Group first round tie between Germany and Spain in the Fraport-Arena in Frankfurt Main, Germany, 02 February 2014. EPA/ARNE DEDERT
It remains to be seen which players from the nation which won the Cup five times in a decade will front up for the controversial new captain when Spain competes in Europe/Africa zonal play for the first time in almost two decades.
“I think the players are upset with the way the appointment was made,” Moya said of the disaster. “Their complaint is they came to know of her appointment through the media, not from the federation.”
With Spain not playing a Davis match until July thanks to a bye, Moya said the coaching appointment was rushed through for no apparent reason.
The German team Carsten Arriens (L-R), Tommy Haas, Daniel Brands, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Florian Mayer and Spanish team Feliciano Lopez, Roberto Bautista Agut, David Marrero, Fernando Verdasco and manager Carlos Moya at the draw for the Davis Cup match between Germany and Spain at city hall in Frankfurt Main, Germany, 30 January 2014. The first round of the men’s tennis world group will take place in Germany from 31 January until 02 February. EPA/ARNE DEDERT
“I feel there was no rush. The federation, maybe, could have talked to the players, taken their inputs. They should have taken a note of what they think. The players are the best judge to tell if she is up to the job.”
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RT @OneChoix: Carlos Moya queries new Spanish Davis Cup with none of team understanding the appointment – Who owed who a favour? http://t.c…