Spain closed the second phase of the FIBA windows for 2027 Basketball World Cup qualifying with a bitter taste. Defeats against Portugal (89-95) and Greece (108-106) complicated the standings and reignited debate over international refereeing.
Brizuela points at FIBA
Darío Brizuela was one of the most outspoken voices in the locker room after the game in Athens. The FC Barcelona guard called the officiating «deliberately poor» and said the referees «lacked professionalism» at key moments of the contest.
He stressed that responsibility does not lie with either national team, but with the governing body: «It is not our fault or Greece fault; FIBA is the one that has to look into it», he said, referring to a possible review of the decisions that shaped the closing stretch.
A phase opener with two setbacks
The national side arrived at the window needing points against direct group rivals. The loss in Lisbon left Spain in a more vulnerable position, and the game in Greece, decided by two points in an electric finish, deepened the sense of injustice inside the squad.
Coaches and players agreed the competitive level was there, but that certain calls — especially in the paint and on personal fouls in the fourth quarter — altered the rhythm and the outcome. The overall feeling in the camp is that a clear chance to bounce back in the table was missed.
Qualifying picture tightens
With this close, Spain head into the decisive stretch of European qualifying with less room for error. Each window now carries extra weight and the team must recover ground against rivals also fighting for a direct World Cup ticket.
Brizuela comments and the collective frustration over refereeing in Greece were reported by SPORT and AS in their respective FIBA window coverage.
