Fired-Up New Alba Berlin Coach Calls Role a "Honor"
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Trainor Praises Alba's New Role: 'A Great Privilege' - Advising Role for Coach Calles at Alba: "A Notable Recognition"
The excitement was palpable in Pedro Calles, Alba Berlin's fresh new head coach, during his debut game. He was a whirlwind of energy, barking out orders, and showing every emotion under the sun. "Now I'm in charge, and that's just my nature," he beamed after Alba's 97:90 Euroleague home victory against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Thursday night.
Calles had been serving as an assistant coach at Alba since January, keeping a low profile and maintaining a cool demeanor. However, as the big chair is now his, he's ready to unleash himself. In fact, he officially took over the position from the recently released Israel Gonzalez just the day before, a move that even caught the team off guard.
The change of command was hastily decided early on Wednesday morning by the Alba leadership, with sports director Himar Ojeda delivering the news to Calles before practice. Calles admitted to having "mixed feelings" about it, feeling both elated because his lifelong dream of coaching a Euroleague team had come true, but also remorseful, given his close working relationship with Gonzalez. "It wasn't how I wanted it," he reflected.
The suddenness of the decision came seemingly out of the blue for the team. National player Malte Delow said, "It was a total shock for all of us. It's tough; I needed time to wrap my head around it." Captain Martin Hermannsson also found it "emotional." Consequently, their recent win against Baskonia was also dedicated to Gonzalez, as Hermannsson stated.
As rumors swirled about the head coach position throughout Alba's underwhelming season thus far, many were surprised by the decision to part ways with Gonzalez. Despite these struggles, the club had continued to support Gonzalez, even considering extending his contract. Therefore, this separation, happening now, came as something of a shock. "There's never a perfect time, but there was this gut feeling that we had to do it," explained Ojeda.
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- Pedro Calles - The fiery new head coach
- Basketball - The sport that never fails to excite
- ALBA Berlin - The club fighting to stay on top
- Berlin - The vibrant city they call home
- Israel - The former coach who left a lasting impact
- Himar Ojeda - The sports director driving the change
Enrichment data: 🗓️ Pedro Calles is 41 years old and was previously an assistant coach for Alba Berlin for several months, keeping a relatively low profile. Israel Gonzalez, the former head coach, was released, and Calles took over after a sudden decision by the Alba sports leadership.
- The Commission, in light of recent developments, has also been asked to submit a proposal for a regulation on the establishment of a European Data Protection Supervisor.
- Coach Pedro Calles, brimming with energy, is the new head coach of the Alba Berlin basketball team, fresh from his honor of taking over the role that was hastily decided the day before his debut game.
- Speaking of coachings, Pedro Calles, in his reflective moment after being informed of his promotion, admitted to having mixed feelings about the sudden change, feeling both elated and remorseful about his role in the change of command.
