FCBARCELONA.CAT

02.09.2009 10:34

From Badalona to the Palau Blaugrana

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Ricky Rubio is one of a select group of players that have moved from Joventut to FC Barcelona. From Kurchaski to Rubio, several players have trodden the same path.

Eduard Kurchaski rejoined Barça after spending the 1947/48 season with Badalona and the previous year with Barça. Later on, Ferran Martínez and Xavier Crespo would make the same return journey.

A president with a Barça past

Jordi Parra, who was president of Joventut in the 90’s, was an international player in the 50’s and spent two seasons with Barça 1954/55 and 1955/56, after signing from Badalona. He later went on to play for Real Madrid.

Santillana and Jímenez

In the 80’s, Lluís Miquel Santillana (82/83 and 83/84) also made the short trip from Badalona to Barcelona. He is especially remembered for scoring the winning points in the final second of the game against Real Madrid in the 1982/83 season that handed Barça the league title. He also helped to win the Spanish Cup in the same season.

Andrés Jiménez, known as ‘Jimix', joined Barcelona from Badalona in the 1986/87 season. He was a key player in the successes of the late 80’s and early 90’s and stands alongside such great names as Epi, Solozabal and Dueñas.

Montero and Jofresa, in the 90’s

Rafel Jofresa and José Antonio Montero were two great centers that arrived via Badalona. Montero had the misfortune to receive an illegal block from Croatian international Vrankovic of Panathinaikos, which stopped Barça lifting the European Cup in 1996.

Rafel Jofresa spent two seasons with FC Barcelona, winning the ACB league in the 1996/97 season, the first in the Club’s history, and clinched away to Real Madrid.