Ribas Warns that Transitions Take Time as Gibraltar Enters Next Phase Ahead of Nations League

Gibraltar enters a new phase in its international football development this Wednesday as it prepares to take on Andorra in a friendly match at Europa Point. This marks a return of international football to Gibraltar after having played its Euro qualifier group matches in Faro. The return to playing in front of a home crowd is a welcome change, but it also signals a new phase in Gibraltar’s rapid progression through international football. Just ten years after first competing in international competitions, a new generation of young players is emerging. Tuesday’s training session for the national squad featured many new faces, with the notable absence of most players from Gibraltar’s early UEFA membership days, except for a handful who are nearing retirement.

Gibraltar’s Head Coach, Julio Ribas, who has transformed Gibraltar’s prospects since his arrival, welcomed the return to playing in Gibraltar.

“It’s always positive to play at home. We spent many years playing in Portugal before we had home matches. Every time we get to play at home, it’s a marvellous experience,” he told the local media during a pre-match press conference this Tuesday at Europa Point.

Mr. Ribas was unfazed by the fact that the stadium is smaller than even the Victoria Stadium, which they were used to, stating that it was simply a “matter of adjusting to the pitch.”

However, the Gibraltar head coach was more diplomatic and reserved when addressing the fact that, for the first time since he began as head coach, his pre-match preparations with players have been significantly reduced. A decision by clubs last season to halt the one-week preparation period before matches was not entirely welcomed, with some diplomatically delivered concerns raised in his response to the media.

Describing the previous arrangements as “a great difference” that had benefited the team’s development, especially with younger players, Ribas pointed out that Gibraltar’s national squad had already undergone two transitional periods with young players joining. He emphasized that there are predetermined times for these players to develop and integrate into the squad, noting that now, “It is not easy to make the transitions, and it takes longer for them to adapt. Especially considering they are not playing in just any old tournament, but in a league tournament.”

“But this is the reality we have, and we will adapt to it with the good group of players we have in our squad.”

Highlighting how the match against Andorra gave him the opportunity for the first time in months to have 99% of his players available, Mr. Ribas noted that the past year had seen instances where eight or nine players were injured or unavailable at the same time. This situation impacted not only the squad but also the results.

Having seen Gibraltar’s national team transition from being ranked 204th when he first arrived to reaching 196th at one point—before once again dropping in ranking and suffering some heavy defeats—Ribas was asked whether the expectations placed on Gibraltar after their promotion in the Nations League were too high or adequate. He brushed away any concerns over expectations, praise, or criticisms of his team and methods.

“I never pay attention to critics. I work for Gibraltar, my players, and the public. Never in my working life have I focused on either praise or criticism. I give the best of myself, and that is all,” he said.

Addressing the latest transitional phase, which sees many new youngsters in the squad while much of the old guard that started Gibraltar’s journey through international football is now fading away, he remarked: “Every time we go through a transitional period, it marks a new era, which is logical. What happens, though, is that in football at a higher level, transitions don’t happen as often as they do in Gibraltar football because it doesn’t have the same characteristics.

“So, you have to be continuously readjusting and re-adapting to these transitions. It’s something very beautiful to see, but it’s something that always takes time. To debut players in the Nations League at 16 and 17 years old, as we did with Louie, Britto, and De Barr, is something we will do now with players aged 17, 18, and 19. This is very good for Gibraltar football, but we need time to work on it. We are very happy with the work we have done over the past seven years, especially considering the unique aspects of Gibraltar football, and it has been excellent for us.

“But like all excellent moments, there are also those that are not so excellent in nature. I always tell my players we must have a winning mentality, no matter where and against whom we play. A winner never loses; he either wins or learns. Throughout all this time, we have always followed this path—learning. We celebrate our victories, and we learn from the rest.”