FCBARCELONA.CAT

09.06.2008 15:00

Creus: “The project excites me”

Cristina Collado

Joan Creus has been officially presented as the new director of basketball for the next two seasons. Creus says he finds the project exciting which is why he accepted the post.

“The club made me an offer to join the technical staff,” said Creus. “I thought it sounded like an exciting project which is why I accepted. I’m pleased the club thought of me and have given me a chance to work here.”

Joan Creus said that when getting ready for next season he would take into account the last part of the one which has just finished and which has been good. “Now the project’s starting,” he said. “We have to look at the squad with Xavi Pascual and see which players we want for next season. This team, if you look at the run-in to the end of the season, has been good, and we’ll take everything into account.”

Coming home

Creus has been officially presented this Monday as the new director of basketball at a press conference in the Camp Nou press room attended by club chairman Joan Laporta and the Board member in charge of basketball, Josep Cubells. Laporta pointed out that Joan Creus has been at Barça before and knows it well. “We haven’t only looked at his record as a player and coach, which is extraordinary,” said Laporta. “Creus is someone who is coming home and this is what we want to do when appointing people to run the sports aspects of the club. People who know the identity of FC Barcelona, and what the club represents, and that gives us confidence.”

Glass half full

“Things have changed, as one coach was relieved and Xavi was the assistant coach,” said Josep Cubells, the Board member in charge of basketball. The new director of basketball is currently reviewing the end of the season and says that Pascual should stay on.

Laporta was full of praise for Josep Cubells: “The decision to pick Xavi Pascual was a good one. I’m especially happy that Joan Creus should think Pascual is the best option. Cubells looked around for a new director of basketball for FC Barcelona, together with Solanellas, and they’ve found the right person.”

As for the season which has just finished, Laporta was positive. “I always like to see the glass as half full,” he said. “If you run a club you have to be optimistic, moderately ambitious and want to win.” He added that winning in these sections, just as in handball, is increasingly difficult as there are more teams with competitive squads. “We reached the final of the ACB and have classified for the Euroleague. Changing a coach is always traumatic, but we thought it was the right thing to do.”

Navarro and Gasol

Joan Creus spoke about the futures of two former AXA Barça players. Joan Carles Navarro, currently with the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA, has shown in Creus’s opinion that “he is a symbol of the club and a great player. He likes the NBA and says he would like to stay there, but if he wants to come back we’d be delighted. However, I think that is unlikely.”

The other one is Marc Gasol, who played for Akasvayu Girona last season. “Marc Gasol has become a key player in any team he plays in. We see him as being fundamental for our project. He has the chance to go to the NBA or stay here. If he decides to stay we’ll push hard to get him.” Here Josep Cubells added that “Barça has first choice so in the ACB we have the last word.” Joan Laporta made his position clear: “We want players who want to be at Barça.”

Home grown players

Joan Creus made it clear that one of the goals would be to form a team with home grown players combined with players from outside the club. “We want our youth set-up to be important,” he said. “We want to bring these players on. The under-18s and under-14s have had great seasons, the latter wining the Mini Cup. The under-16s have won everything as well. We need to make use of these players, as a good job is being done with them which just needs that final little step.”