18 years later the Catalan basketball team returns to play a friendly match
The base of the Cavs, awaiting the definitive permission of the NBA
The inclusion of Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Ricky Rubio is the most outstanding news of the call announced this Monday by the Catalan team for the friendly that will be played on July 25 (8:30 p.m.) at the Nou Congost in Manresa.
The world champion and two-time European champion with Spain had previously expressed his desire to play this match, which is part of the celebration of the centenary of the Catalan Basketball Federation (FCBQ). However, His participation is not yet assured, pending the final permission of the NBA.
Beyond Rubio, the Catalan team will have in its ranks other players who have also won international titles in national team tournaments such as Barça forward Joel Parra, Joventut Badalona point guard Pau Ribas, Surne Bilbao Basket forward Xavi Rabaseda and Greek AEK Athens power forward Pierre Oriola.
Daniel Perez (Baxi Manresa), Luis Costa (Coviran Granada), Guillem Jou (Baxi Manresa), Eric Villa (Basketball Girona), miquel saved (Dreamland Gran Canaria), Edward Gatell (Alicante) and Jose Nogues (Ourense) complete the list of Catalonia, whose last men’s international friendly dates back to June 30, 2005 with a win against Cuba (101-70) at the Palau Olímpic in Badalona.
The Nou Congost, the scene of the match, hosted the official presentation of the event on Monday, which included the participation of the president of the FCBQ, Ferran Aril; the mayor of Manresa, Marc Aloy; the Catalan coach, Salva Maldonado; and the team captain, Pierre Oriola.
For the Albiceleste, this friendly will be the first preparation match for the FIBA Americas Olympic pre-qualifier, which will host from August 14 to 20 in Santiago del Estero and where the team led by Pablo Prigioni will play the qualification for Paris 2024.
In a video released by the FCBQ, The Argentine coach thanked the invitation and described this test as “very useful” to “see how the preparation is going”which started last Saturday in the Alicante town of La Nucía, and move forward with “the ultimate goal of reaching Santiago in the best conditions”.
Likewise, Argentina also confirmed the call for the friendly against Catalonia, led by players with extensive international experience such as the point guards Facundo Campazzo (Red Star) and Luca Vildoza (Panathinaikos), and forwards Carlos Delfino (Victoria Libertas Pesaro) and Nico Brussino (Dreamland Gran Canaria).
Thomas Chapero (Algeciras), Gonzalo Bressán (Valencia Basketball), Santiago Trouet (University of San Diego), Francis Caffaro (Santa Clara University), maximum fjellerup (Basketball Girona), Juan Francisco Fernandez (Fuenlabrada), Gonzalo Corbalan (San Pablo Burgos), Lee Aaliya (Gymnastics La Plata), Juan Ignacio Marcos (Força Lleida) and Lucio Redivo (Gesteco Cividale) close the list.