Nadia Mossong is the team leader and captain for team Luxembourg. She is not only the JICL MVP leader of the women’s LBBL, but also the JICL top scorer of the league and with her experience over the last years, she will be able to act as the leader in both of the upcoming games against Switzerland and Italy, a country where she played herself as a professional player for many years.
Could you describe the motivation within the team for the upcoming games?
We are extremely motivated because it is the first time that we will play on this level after a long time. We deserve to play these games after our great performance last summer when we were able to bring home the gold medal.
T71-president Marcel Wagener said that you are experiencing your second spring as a player in Dudelange, what is your reaction to that quote?
(LAUGHS) Obviously it makes me smile. I have played on a high level also before joining Dudelange, but maybe Marcel did not notice that as much since I played abroad (laughs). At the same time, I have to say that I feel exceptionally well this season and we are playing very well so that it is a lot of fun playing with T71 at the moment.
You will face Switzerland in the Coque on Thursday, coach Dziurdzia said that the goal is to win a game in this qualification. Is this home game against Switzerland the most realistic opportunity to grab a victory?
I would say yes. If you look at our opponents, Switzerland is probably the weakest team we will face. Furthermore, we might have the chance to surprise them since it is the first game of the qualification. This is definitely the game to attack and that is what we want to do on Thursday.
On Sunday, you will play in Italy where you played for many years. What do you know about their team and what can we expect?
I do not know any of their players personally but I know who they are and how they play so that they are not an unknown team for me. Obviously, it will be difficult to compete with them, they will have their best players available and the championship in Italy is clearly on a higher level than in Luxembourg. Some of their players play in very strong European teams, it will be an amazing experience for our team to play against this nation, especially for our young players.
How would you describe your role in the team?
I am by far the oldest player on the team (laughs). I have experience on this level, I know what to expect so that my role will be to be the leader and to encourage the young players and help them to see these games as a positive challenge.
Players from your generation Laure Diederich, Tessy Hetting and Michèle Orban have ended their careers in the national team, how long do you want to continue?
I do not have a concrete plan. I am looking at it step by step and as long as my body is feeling well, I am going to continue.
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Interview with head coach Mariusz Dziurdzia –> Interview with national team head coach Mariusz Dziurdzia
