We experienced a final World Padel Championships in Qatar exceptional, with a completely crazy finish and Argentina's victory in the decisive set of the third match. But today we want to highlight the role of players on the bench, often perceived as inactive, but who are in reality very workers in these intense moments.

Players, whether they are starters or substitutes, remain extremely close to those who play on the pitch. It has been observed that the role of captain is sometimes relegated to the background in favour of players from the national team, who provide advice during changes of sides in an attempt to influence the course of the match.

On the side ofArgentina is Sanyo Gutiérrez who often took on this role, particularly in this third decisive match, where he gave his support to Leo Augsburg et Tino Libaak. He showed himself to be particularly proactive from the second set.

At theSpain is Ale Galán which, at certain times, took the place of Juanjo Gutiérrez pour conseiller Paquito Navarro et mike yanguas.

That said, technically only the captain is allowed to coaching players during the match, and not the entire bench. Should we complain about that? Not at all, quite the contrary!

Officially banned, this informal coaching is nevertheless a common practice in all nations, due to the proximity between the bench and the players, particularly during changes of ends.

It is not uncommon to witness exchanges between the players on the bench, those on the field and the coach. Another trend that we regularly observe: the players on the bench discuss with the captain to find solutions to the difficulties encountered by their teammates on the field.

That's it, the spirit of padel. It would be a shame to lose this collective dimension which distinguishes this sport from other disciplines, such as tennis. This team spirit is at the heart of the identity of padel.

During this final in Qatar, this proximity between the players and the captain contributed to the unique atmosphere, offering a exceptional show.

THEArgentina wins the title again against theSpain, who will surely regret not having seized this opportunity, she who was still favorite of the competition. The fans, after a week of waiting, criticism of the level of the matches or the differences in performance, were rewarded with a magnificent spectacle of padel between Argentina and Spain. Although it is hoped to see other nations join this rivalry, as highlighted Chingotto et Reca, it will take a few more years for other teams to reach the level of excellence of Argentina or Spain and to be able to claim to play leading roles in this sport.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.