The face of Carles Duran (Barcelona, 1976) exudes illusion. 38 years later, the Copa del Rey returns to Badalona and all the spotlights point to his beloved Joventut just 5 years after his emergency landing on the bench. He greets with a smile, patiently undergoes a small photo session and sits in the empty stands of the Olímpic to begin to respond.
Is everything ready?
The Olímpic is a large pavilion but from any seat you can see the game well. In addition, in a Cup there is a very special union between the fans. It is a party and Badalona is the ideal place to enjoy it.
It had been 38 years since the Cup had not stopped in Badalona...
At that time I was a small child and I don't remember much.
Don't you remember anything?
I was about 7 or 8 years old, I only remember the final although I didn't see it live. I know that Real Madrid beat Joventut.
38 is a lot of years?
Yes I think so. The Olímpic is a very special place, I would say spectacular. Only the best have played here, like the Dream Team at the Barcelona Games, so I would like more Cups to be played in the future because the facility deserves it.
Is Badalona ready?
The city probably does not have the infrastructure that is often required to organize a Copa del Rey, but basketball is experienced in a very special way.
How does Penya arrive?
I think we are doing well and, logically, we are very excited. We arrived at the Cup with a good feeling of victories and we are physically fit.
Do you think your team is reliable enough to think about winning it?
Yes. It's true that we don't have a very long squad, especially compared to others, but also that during these three days, that we hopefully compete, we have young people and we can be a physically reliable team.
This thing about young people has a double meaning, right? Illusion against lack of experience, for example.
Well, when I say that we are a young team it is because it is true but it is also true that we have players with a lot of experience. Two of them have already won the Cup, Ante (Tomic) and Pau (Ribas), and another like Guillem (Vives) has played in a final. Therefore, I speak of youth more in terms of the overall percentage of the team, but we have players who have played in many Cups.
How important is it that they have qualified for sporting merits and not just for being hosts?
A lot, it was one of our objectives at the beginning of the course. We have also struggled to be seeded heads but it could not be. We want to be sportingly important and strong because there have been times when some hosts have had problems in that regard. I think we are in a good place to try, we have been among the best throughout the regular season.
Does this Penya have a roof?
Yes, but I don't know what it is. Last year, sportingly, we reached our ceiling, finishing third in the ACB League. I don't know if we can overcome it but as a team I do believe that we can continue to grow, it is our challenge. If I didn't think so, surely it would be time to look for another place.
The Baskonia is a very hard nut to crack to begin with...
This year the top three are being very reliable but I think that Barça and Madrid are a little above everyone else. Against Baskonia in Vitoria we showed that we can play one on one but tomorrow is a totally different game.
What gives you most afraid of?
His rhythm, that he can beat ours. Baskonia imposes a very crazy rhythm, positively, and is very brave when it comes to scoring points and running. Also, obviously, the three-point line worries us because they are the best team in percentage in the ACB and we have some weakness in that aspect.
The draw determined that Barça and Madrid cannot see each other in a hypothetical final, there are people who say that this is good for basketball...
My opinion is that if we want them to not always be in the final we have to beat them on the track, as we have already done this season in the League with Barça, for example, despite their potential. Everything else, with all due respect, sounds more cliché to me. If Barça or Madrid reach the final it is because they deserve it and they do things well.
Which Joventut would you like to see in the Cup?
I would like to see a brave and fun Penya, and very solid defensively. I think it will also be a game to have fun, if we play with fear we will do little. We have to be brave from the beginning to be able to play our best basketball.
Fun sounds good...
We have our way of playing. For example, it's not the same whether Ante (Tomic) is on the court or not, it marks us a lot. But in general we are a young team that likes to play in the open field, it has been our philosophy for many years, although sometimes we have to adapt to the circumstances. But in short, yes, we like to play nice for the people.
Joventut have not won the Cup since 2008.
You have to keep your feet on the ground, with the history of this club we only have two Copas del Rey with this format, which means that it is something very difficult to achieve. Furthermore, everyone knows that in the last 13 years only Barça or Real Madrid have won it.
But do you dream of winning it?
Yes, it's something I've dreamed of, it would be quite an achievement. And I have no words to describe what it would mean if Joventut were proclaimed champion and in Badalona, it would be crazy.
You have just completed 5 years on the black-green bench, what remains of Carles Duran from 2018?
Many things. Above all I would say that the illusion, I am still excited. Obviously a lot has happened since then but one thing I haven't lost is the illusion... and one thing I've gained is the pressure. When I arrived it was a bit like jumping into the pool and whatever happened, always responsibly, and now I feel that everyone is very excited and that we cannot fail.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
The truth is that I would like to continue here, it is my home and I am very happy. But I am aware that my world is very volatile and you never know, if there are negative results, then I will have to leave. But I would like to continue here. 5 years ago I did not think that today I would be at Joventut playing a Copa del Rey in Badalona.
With your arrival, sporting stability gradually recovered. Did that also help the club find a bit of calm after the economic storm?
I think so, the fact that the team is doing well has helped us all feel calmer. The entry of Scranton (investor group) has also been very important, although on the other hand now people believe that we can win titles and it has been shown that in Spain only Barça or Real Madrid are winning them.
Does having a contract until 2025 give you peace of mind to work?
More than peace of mind, it gives me peace of mind to work on certain aspects of the project, such as the growth of some youngsters or seeing the long-term path of players like Andrés (Feliz), Joel (Parra) or Pep (Busquets). 5 years ago We had a structure and now we have a lot of people from the house and we are getting more and more young people into the team. That is the peace of mind that a long contract gives me.
