Dairis Bertans is glad to have the opportunity to conclude his career with the basketball national team in an official match, said the captain of the Latvian national team at a press conference on Monday, LETA reports.
Bertans will conclude his career with the national team in a home match against the Netherlands on Friday as part of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers.
"This decision was not sudden, and I am completely at peace with it. As I have already said — the time has come. The feelings are a bit different, but that makes everything more interesting, and I approach this with different emotions. I am glad that I have the opportunity to play my last match. It is symbolic that this is happening under the guidance of Sito Alonso, as it was under him that I had my best seasons abroad," said Bertans.
He made the decision a few months after the European Championship in Riga, where the Latvian national team finished its performance in the round of 16.
"At the beginning of the season, it was difficult to find emotions within myself because a lot was given to the national team. The World Cup is still a long way off, so the decision is logical," he noted.
Speaking about the future captain of the team, Bertans stated that it should be an internal decision of the team — both players and coaches.
Recalling the most emotional games for the national team, he highlighted the quarterfinal of the 2017 European Championship against Slovenia and the home match of the 2023 World Cup qualifiers against Turkey.
The Latvian national team will start the 2027 World Cup qualifiers on November 28 with a home game against the Netherlands, and on December 1, they will play in Vienna against Austria.
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