Josep Cubells (Barcelona, ??1964) takes the ball, makes a throw and scores. He collects it from the floor, is placed in the free kick and scores again. All without taking off the dress that usually accompanies it. At the Palau Blaugrana, preparations are being completed for the official photo with president Joan Laporta, but before that, the head of Barça basketball undergoes a photo session that he enjoys like a child and takes an x-ray of the section and the club.
Falling against Breogán was not in the crosshairs…
We took the defeat badly.
Home field advantage in the Endesa League is in danger…
We need one more race to improve in the classification and ensure the track factor, we will have to be very focused.
We are facing one of the most decisive weeks of the year, with visits to Fenerbahçe and Panathinaikos.
For me, the Euroleague is the best competition in the world and we have to show character, which we have done before. There are 6 or 7 teams very close and we are playing with two candidates to be at the top. In the end, finishing between first and fourth is of relative importance, but having the fans in your favor in the playoffs is decisive.
And, on Sunday, in Badalona…
It’s a week full of emotions, that’s all.
How do you see Barça?
It may sound strange to say this after losing against Breogán, but I see the team very well. It may be risky, but I think we are more competitive than last year despite the fact that we had to reduce the budget. There are players like Jabari Parker, who is already an idol of the fans, who have been growing, or like Ricky Rubio, who is adapting well, and they make the sum of everything a very competitive team.
In the midst of a bad run of results, it was said that a replacement was being sought for Roger Grimau, is that true?
No, the confidence in the coach is total and he is doing a very good job. Those poor results obviously worried us, but we met with the technical secretariat and measures were taken that worked.
Is qualifying for the final four a non-negotiable goal?
When we arrived at the club we set ourselves the goal of returning the team to the elite and we have succeeded. In fact, we have been in the last three finals. You cannot always be at the top, but it is our aspiration and we must try to be there very often. We know that basketball is the sport with the fewest European Cups for Barça.
In the financial backpack of the club there is still a chapter dedicated to Nikola Mirotic…
He is not being paid anything, everything is in court because no agreement was reached with his agent.
Was he sorry how it all ended?
Yes a lot. Nikola is an endearing person as well as a great player. I would have liked everything to end with an agreement because we found contracts that were not market and our obligation was to regularize them. His agent had to understand and maybe some solution could have been reached. There were many proposals.
Jasikevicius’ start wasn’t the best either…
I can say good things about Sarasnomés. He has been a legend as a player and also as a coach. It was nothing personal, he was facing a change of era.
Jasikevicius has criticized the club for his ways and claims that some member of his family has not been treated well.
I have no record of it, rather the opposite. As club executives have told me, everything that has to do with his family is treated with the utmost affection.
Why do you think he is making these statements now?
The truth is that they took me by surprise. I have always been open to talk if there have been any misunderstandings. It is true that everything happened very quickly, the case of Mirotic and that of Sarases happened in a few days, but a new stage had to begin.
When do they put Roger Grimau’s name on the table?
He was the coach we had in our portfolio. We didn’t know if it would be this year or the next, but he had everything we wanted: he is from the house, knows the club, the squad and had been captain. He has all the elements to succeed.
For when the New Palace?
We are with the basic project, the idea is that when they finish the Camp Nou, they will start with the New Palau. We are really looking forward to it because we have to take a step forward, it is a fundamental piece for our sustainability.
You are secretary of the board and member of the Delegated Commission, how would you define the financial health of the club?
We are well on our way to reversing the economic situation we found ourselves in when we arrived, but we still have a lot of work to do.
Several executives and managers have left the club, what’s going on?
In this board there are many people who dedicate many hours to the club and it would be normal for us to get paid. Because if you have a job that demands a lot from you, the normal thing is that you cannot combine it and you have to leave it, as happened with Eduard Romeu, the economic vice president.
But he’s not the only one who’s gone…
The same thing happened with Maribel Meléndez – corporate director – for example. There were no disagreements, it was a personal thing. She was a hard worker and I wish her the best.
Romeo said he was leaving Laporta with his Praetorian guard, is he part of it?
(laughs) I don’t know what that means, the truth, but Tito Castro and I are the only ones who have been the same days and minutes as the president in the club since 2003. I don’t know if that means praetorian guard, Romeu is a very bold person But in the board we are all very Laportistas, we have the utmost confidence in him and we go to one.
How does the president see? Can with everything?
He is worried like everyone about the club’s situation, but he is a very proactive person and is not afraid to make decisions. I see him strong and suffering.
Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
We will push forward, I am convinced. The club is moving in the right direction. They are looking for new income, lowering the budget… Despite what they say, we are on the right track. In fact, I can reveal that next year we may be able to increase the investment in basketball.
