Following the quarter-finals of the WSE Champions League by Azemad in the men’s competition, this Friday marks the historic moment when the women’s teams take to the ice. The semi-finals will see Vila-Sana face CP Fraga and SL Benfica take on HC Gijón.
The city of Coimbra continues to establish itself as the European capital of roller hockey, hosting the decisive stage of the WSE Champions League by Azemad until 10 May, in a historic edition that brings together both the men’s and women’s competitions simultaneously at the Dr. Mário Mexia Multisport Pavilion. This Friday sees the start of the women’s Final Four, with matches between CP Vila-Sana and CP Fraga, and SL Benfica against HC Gijón, with the grand final scheduled for Sunday, 10 May, at 12:00.
The press conference previewing the women’s Final Four took place this Thursday, bringing together the coaches of the participating teams to analyse the current competitive landscape and expectations for one of the highlights of the European season. CP Vila-Sana was unable to attend the session, as a delay to the delegation’s flight prevented them from arriving at the conference venue on time.
The semi-final matches will be broadcast on RTP 2 and RTP Play (free-to-air across Europe) as well as on DAZN 4 (Portugal) and TV 3 Catalonia
What they said:
Paulo Almeida, SL Benfica coach
“There is a sense of anticipation, which is perfectly normal in a Final Four. The players are really keen to compete; they’ve worked hard to get here and all four teams deserve to be at this stage. Gijón are a great team, very well organised, and I believe whoever is in better physical and tactical shape will have a better chance of reaching the final. It is clear that the Spanish league is stronger than the Portuguese one, but for Benfica that is no longer an excuse, whether we beat Gijón or not. We feel we are prepared and our qualification in the regular season proved that. There are three great Spanish teams here and Palau could also be here, but our goal is to reach the final and win.”
Natacha Lee, HC Gijón coach
“We’re naturally a bit nervous, but also very motivated and happy to be here. We’re well aware of the quality and threat that Benfica pose; we know their players, but we’ve made it through the regular phase and arrived here full of enthusiasm and with a clear strategy to try to win the semi-finals and reach the final.”
Jordí Capdevilla, CP Fraga coach
“We’re used to this kind of challenge; we’ve arrived in good shape and are raring to get started. There’s very little room for surprises, because these teams have a well-established identity and build on the work done throughout the season. We know what to do and also the difficulties our opponents can pose. Rink hockey needs fans and it needs the press to evolve. Yesterday we were here watching Benfica v Reus and saw a packed, vibrant arena for a match played at 10.00 pm. We all hope to put on a great show so that rink hockey continues to grow in the women’s game as well.”
WSE Champions League Women – Final Four
Semi-finals
Friday, 8 May
19:00 – SL Benfica (POR) vs Telecable Gijón HC (ESP) – RTP 2 + DAZN 4
21:30 – CP Vila-Sana Coop d'Ivars (ESP) vs CP Esneca Fraga (ESP) – RTP Play + DAZN 4 + TV3 Catalonia
Final
Sunday, 10 May
12:00 – Winner of Match 1 vs Winner of Match
Please refer to our Rink Hockey Press Drive for photos of the competition.