“We are ready for a stellar season”

“I arrive with a lot of desire, ambition, responsibility and knowing that the work to be done is hard and that there will be difficult moments. But I am also convinced that we have the tools to have a great season. It is important, I want the people of Barça to be happy with the way their team is playing,” said Joan Peñarroya during his presentation as the new basketball coach of Barça, replacing Roger Grimau, who was fired a few weeks ago after a season without a title. The Terrassa coach has signed for the next two seasons.

Peñarroya, 55, was accompanied in his presentation by the manager responsible for Barça basketball, Josep Cubells, and by the section director, Juan Carlos Navarro. The new helmsman of the Barça ship is an experienced coach, with ten seasons of ACB behind him (MoraBanc Andorra, Baxi Manresa, San Pablo Burgos, Valencia Basket and Baskonia), a European title in his bag (Champions League 2021 with Burgos), and a recent knowledge of the Euroleague (a little over a season with Baskonia).

“There is little to say about Joan. He is a coach with a long experience, with a long career in our basketball, a successful career. A type of coach who offers us an attractive basketball, with points, that will make our fans fall in love. He is the ideal person to carry out this new project. We have also incorporated a culé, with the personal commitment of being another culé. Joan, welcome, you are at home. We have all our hopes in you, you will surely give us a lot of joy,” Cubells said in his first intervention.

Juan Carlos Navarro, for his part, stressed the need for a change on the bench. “Last year we were already saying that the objectives were not being met and that we needed a change. Thanks to Roger for the work he has done but we are betting on Joan for his character, his experience, his many years in Europe and thanks for wanting to be with us,” he said.

Peñarroya is very happy to join Barça because, although he has already worked at Valencia and Baskonia, this is the first time he has coached a top team. “First of all, I would like to warmly thank FC Barcelona for giving me this incredible opportunity to lead such a fantastic team. I’m not one to make big promises. I believe in living one day at a time, working hard and letting the results speak for themselves. My journey shows that my teams have a unique style, and we will work hard to ensure that it reflects everything that Culé fans want: dedication, passion and values ​​that are non-negotiable in any team that I lead,” he said.

“When I started coaching after my playing career, my dream was to coach Barça. There are so many emotions that are running high on a personal and family level. My parents are there, ready to uncork a bottle of cava. The most emotional moment for me, and the one I hope to experience with Barça, is when we start winning titles. That’s the moment I’m looking forward to,” he continued.

The new coach did not want to discuss specific objectives. “No matter who coaches, the answer to this question is always the same: aim to win every competition you enter. It is not very useful to talk about what we want to win on July 1. We must strive to win every competition we compete in. So now is the time to start building towards that ultimate goal,” he explains.

This content has been translated and adapted from the Spanish version of the digital newspaper