As Xavi Pascual predicted, Barça is doing well heading into the final stretch. The Blaugrana team secured a victory on MoraBanc Andorra's court and will reach the last game with options to finish in third place (95-100). Kevin Punter sent the game into overtime with a three-pointer and had a decisive performance in the extra period. The Culer squad welcomed back Nico Laprovittola and Jan Vesely, but Youss Fall injured his right ankle. Despite the loss, the Andorrans secured their permanence.

A few months after starting his second spell at FC Barcelona, Xavi Pascual explained the reasons for his departure in a press conference. "I had many doubts about coming, but I had two internal commitments, that of Joan Carles Navarro and that of Joan Laporta. That's why we put a release clause because I was afraid of not adapting. From 2014 to 2016 I had a bad time and I promised myself I would never suffer again. I'm leaving Barça because I suffer a lot. Defeats don't allow me to be a person. I'm not the right person to start the exciting project. This decision will be good for Barça and everyone will find their place. Everyone will come out a winner," said the coach.

The FC Barcelona basketball section experienced one of the most unusual episodes in its hundred-year history. The club confirmed that Xavi Pascual will activate, at the end of this season, the termination clause of the contract that bound them until 2028. The war for the narrative will have a new chapter this Thursday, as the coach will offer a press conference to explain his version.

Asisa Joventut did not hesitate against Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos, who already had permanence secured and added their fourth consecutive victory (86-79). Yannis Morin scored 7 points and drew five personal fouls on a day when the Olympic Palace called for Guillem Vives' renewal. "It wasn't our best game, but we're on a good streak and no opponent wants to play against us," explained Ludde Hakanson.

“One day we said enough”. Berta Arandes, president of Dones en Joc, explains the moment when a group of entrepreneurs from the world of sport decided to create an entity that would give visibility to female executives to increase their presence in decision-making spaces. “Dones en Joc is an association that was born to promote the figure of the female executive in the world of sport. We have detected a great need to network among ourselves to provide mutual support that will serve to give much-needed visibility to female executives. It seems incredible, but it continues to be very non-existent. We want to weave a network and give this visibility to female executives to generate role models in leadership positions. We have role models, but we don't have role models of female executives”, she explains to ARA.Currently, Dones en Joc is made up of 12 female executives from different federations, clubs, and sports institutions. The association is self-financed with contributions from its promoters, but the goal is to find companies to sponsor the project. For now, everything comes out of our own pockets, we don't have any external help", confesses Arandes. The scenario does not invite optimism. "Unfortunately, the situation of female executives in Catalan sport is negative, as they continue to be little visible and their work is very little or not at all recognized. We continue to see the stands full of men, and this situation must be reversed. We want to see more women in decision-making spaces. There are female executives, but they neither have visibility nor do they usually appear in the media", she assures.Their roadmap is very well structured. “Apart from the visibility we are trying to achieve and the network we are building, what we believe is very necessary is to change the structures. It is now difficult for a woman to dare to take a step forward to say that she wants to direct or lead a team, a club or a federation”, analyzes Arandes, one of the founders of the project. The other is Mònica Garcia-Solanas. Dones en Joc periodically organizes meeting spaces where women can feel represented and heard. “Just for the photo”

“A very important change would be legislative, because the managerial task must be professionalized. It cannot be that the work of a sports management falls on the personal assets of anyone. These jobs must be professionalized, because sport is still an industry like any other,” asks Arandes, who has managed to involve dozens of people in the project. “Many women are tired of only being sought out to appear in photos and avoid an image full of men. The response we are getting is very positive, and that makes me feel proud. We have not found significant differences between sports. In fact, I think we would be very surprised to know how many women are involved in sports that are considered minority, but we must change our perspective,” she says. Arandes values initiatives such as the Demana Canvi campaign of the Catalan Basketball Federation.Arandes, who currently works in the communication department of the Ministry of Sports, has a lot of experience in the sector. “When I started dedicating myself to the world of sports, I didn't have Catalan role models, because women's football at that time was not at all visible. I used to focus a lot on Mia Hamm, who is a mythical American player, or on Marta, a Brazilian icon. These two were my motivation to play football”, she concludes.

]]>

Tired of Barça's unfulfilled promises and tempted by a lucrative offer from Dubai Basketball, Xavi Pascual has decided to pay his release clause of 300,000 euros and leave the club when the season ends. The decision has been made.

]]>

Tired of Barça's breaches of contract and tempted by a great offer from Dubai Basketball, Xavi Pascual has decided to pay his release clause of 300,000 euros and leave the blaugrana club. "I am only focused on the team. If there is anything to say, we will talk at the end of the season. I cannot control the rumors that come out, many things are being said," explained Xavi Pascual after Sunday's game.

]]>

"Success is never accidental." This is one of the mottos of Barça's medical services, which have made creatine the invisible fuel for a club always attentive to the latest medical innovations. The blaugrana entity uses this supplement in both its youth and professional teams.

]]>

The Roig Arena experienced a night they will never forget. Valencia Basket completed a historic comeback against Panathinaikos and left the Greek team without the final four it organizes. The qualification has many protagonists, but it is led by a Catalan. A few weeks after being chosen as the best coach in the Euroleague, Pedro Martínez (61 years old) led the orange team to an unprecedented feat. He is an old cat who is in vogue.

]]>

Barça did not get entangled by a much improved Coviran Granada (98-101). The bottom of the Liga Endesa, who could not avoid relegation, forced the Blaugrana team to play with concentration until the end. Xavi Pascual could not count on Tomás Satoransky, Will Clyburn or Jan Vesely, who on Tuesday announced he will retire at the end of the season. The local fans bid farewell to their players in tears.

]]>

Two unexpected deaths have shocked the NBA. The Memphis Grizzlies announced this Tuesday the death of Brandon Clarke, 29 years old and a player for this NBA franchise for seven years in the league, although they have not made the causes of death public. Furthermore, former player Jason Collins has passed away at the age of 47 due to brain cancer.

]]>

Sixteen years after touching the sky with the Paris Euroleague, a Barça accurate in outside shooting and far superior near the basket had no difficulty in overcoming Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos (91-76). The difference in rebounds was decisive on a day when Xavi Pascual's team played very focused against an opponent distressed by their classification. The Palau Blaugrana observed a minute of silence in memory of Piculín Ortiz, a Barça player who left a very big mark in a very short period of time.

]]>

The basketball world mourns the death of José Piculín Ortiz at the age of 62. The former Puerto Rican center had been battling colorectal cancer for a long time. Considered a legend in his country, which he represented in four Olympic Games and five World Cups, he also played for Barça in the early 90s. The center arrived at the Catalan club from Real Madrid and became a key player in a team coached by Bozidar Maljkovic that featured players like Epi, Solozábal, Audie Norris, and Andrés Jiménez, who won the Copa del Rey and were finalists in the European Cup, a tournament they lost in Paris against the formidable Jugoplastika.

]]>

Five days before hosting the final four of the Basketball Champions League, the Palau Olímpic saw how the second half of the match between Asisa Joventut and Unicaja could not be played due to a technical problem with the scoreboard. The match was delayed by more than 20 minutes and could not be resumed after halftime (53-33), which caused an absurd situation. Mayor Xavier García Albiol fueled conspiracy theories.

]]>

The current star of the Liga Endesa speaks Catalan. Oriol Paulí scored 27 points against Barça and 28 against Unicaja. His current form is key for Hiopos Lleida as they seek to secure their permanence. This Saturday's opponent is Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos. “I'm in a good moment. In sports, dynamics are very important. There have been weaker moments during the season too, but now I'm in a very good physical and mental state. The goal is to try to extend this moment as much as possible because it helps me play with a lot of confidence,” he says.Since this season, Paulí is the ambassador of Catalan basketball. “For me, it's an honor. There are many Catalan players, and that they thought of me fills me with pride. It makes you think you're doing things right, not just as a player but also as a person. When the Catalan Federation proposed it to me, I didn't hesitate for a moment because it's a very big milestone,” he acknowledges. The forward is eager to wear the Catalan national team jersey again. “I would be very excited. I think the last game I played with the Catalan national team was when I was 15 years old. To wear the Catalonia jersey again would be very special. I couldn't be at the centenary match against Argentina, and now I would love to be able to do it. Every time I meet Ferran Aril, president of the FCBQ, I ask him about it,” he admits.

]]>

Days after securing third place in the Women's EuroLeague and just before starting the play-offs for the Women's Endesa League title, Casademont Zaragoza announced that their coach Carlos Cantero will not temporarily lead the team as he is taking paternity leave. His wife Paula has just had a son (Mateo) and, as the club explains, "the coach will exercise his right to suspend the contract for birth and care of a minor, in accordance with current labor regulations".

]]>

Barça reacted to the European elimination with a victory on the court of Kosner Baskonia (92-95). Despite the evident physical and emotional wear, the blaugrana team got through a very difficult match. Trent Forrest missed the triple that would have sent the game into overtime. "It is an important victory that comes on a very difficult day," stated Xavi Pascual, who emphasized the prominence of his inside players. The culé team proved strong on a court where only Valencia Basket had won before.

]]>

Two years in a row stumbling on the same stone. Barça lost on Monaco's court and will not play in the play-offs for the EuroLeague title (79-70). Europe expelled the Catalan team before the end of April. It will be the fourth time in history that the Catalan team is not among the eight best teams in the competition. Furthermore, it's three consecutive years without even smelling a final four.

]]>

First box or stripe overcome. Barça debuted the play-in with a good grade. The Catalan team eliminated Estrella Roja (80-72) and will play for a ticket in the fight for the title against Monaco, who lost to Panathinaikos (87-79). Despite an unexpected eclipse when they were winning by 22 points, the Barça team played with personality to secure the victory at the Palau Blaugrana.

]]>

Barça lost on the court of a sensational Hiopos Lleida (90-80). Oriol Paulí, who trained at the blaugrana club, became the executioner of the culé team, which wasted an 8-point difference at Barris Nord. The forward scored 27 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds. The Catalan, who arrived at La Masia when he was only 12 years old, has worn the Barça jersey in all possible categories, from youth to the Liga Endesa.

]]>