FCBARCELONA.CAT

29.06.2007 17:08

"I want to stay at Barça"

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Fran Vázquez has moved to end all doubts surrounding his future with the Blaugrana. The Winterthur FC Barcelona centre is not contemplating leaving the Catalan club until the end of his contract at the earliest.

The Galician player has seen his form go from strength-to-strength. After his erratic form in Girona, the 24-year-old has seen his performances improve and now he is considered to be a key member of Dusko Ivanovic's squad. The former Akasvayu Girona and Unicaja has looked back on his first year with Barça in an interview with www.fcbarcelona.cat.

How would you sum up your first season with Winterthur FC Barcelona?

"It is has been an irregular campaign, but I think things improved. We were able to win the Copa del Rey with the whole team playing very well and we were clearly the best team of the eight. We were very close playing in the the Final Four in Athens. We were within one game of going there. In the ACB league we made it into the final which was something that not many people thought we could do."

You have achieved the main goal for the season, which was to qualify for the Euroleague next year?

"Obviously it was one of our main targets and lucikly we did that, but I do not think that a club like Barça can be satisfied with that. A club like this always has to be playing to win trophies. In the ACB we did that and we almost did that in the Euroleague. I think we deserve to rate the season as a seven out of ten for what we have achieved."

Was it difficult for you to adapt to Winterthur FC Barcelona?

"At first all the changes were hard, but I think that overall it was positive. I arrived after a difficult year with Girona and felt I had to make up for that and little by little I have adapted to what Dusko wanted and to life in the city."

You were picked in the draft by Orlando Magic two years ago, but decided not to play in the NBA. What happened while you were over there?

"They chose me in the first round in 2005. I was not ready to go there then and I talked to them and I think that they understood my decision at that time. Now I have a contract with Winterthur FC Barcelona for the next three year and I am only thinking about complying with that. When that finishes I would love to prove myself in the NBA and have that experience, but at this moment I am not thinking about going to the United States. I feel very happy at Barça with the coach, my team-mates, the coaching staff and everyone at the club and I am in no hurry to go to the NBA."

"Without doubt I am a more mature player, more complete, but I think that a lot of things can still be improved in my game and that I will be able to achieve that here at Barça. I have to improve the defensive side with guys that are bigger than me, I want to improve my shooting and to play at a certain level all the time. I have improved, but I am still young and can improve even more."