With only 22 years, Òscar Grau (Barcelona, 2004) has already established himself in a squad that aims to win all titles. After nine years training in the Barça youth academy, last summer he obtained his first-team contract. “I have been a Barça fan since I was little and for me it is a dream and a pride to wear these colors and this crest. I prefer to be here than anywhere else in the world. I am playing with players who a few years ago were my idols and I used to ask them for photos and autographs”, explains the Catalan from the Joan Gamper Sports City after finishing training. This Thursday (8:45 PM) the Blaugranas visit Nantes' court in the first leg of the EHF Champions League quarter-finals, the last round before returning to the final four in Cologne.

"I thought I would fall crying and I would fall. I was afraid of falling and seeing the Cup on the ground," recalls Miquel Prat, historic captain of BM Granollers. 50 years ago, the club from Valles became the first Catalan club and the first in the entire state to win a continental title, the Recopa, by defeating German Dankersen in extra time in the final by 26 to 24 in the old municipal sports hall, the popular Parquet. A historic milestone achieved by a bunch of home-grown players who weren't even professionals. A golden generation, an era of tight jerseys, long beards, and dreams of freedom, with senyeras in the stands and a city devoted to a team that paved the way.

A save by Pau Panitti (Mataró, 2004) with thirteen seconds left in the game allowed BM Granollers to beat Baia Mare (29-28) and secure their place in the Main Round of the EHF European League. That was just a few days ago, and it allowed Antonio Rama's team to overcome a six-goal deficit. One of the key figures of the night was Panitti, who, despite admitting he didn't have a great game, was crucial with two saves in the final minutes. The last one was vital to prevent the tie. Rama has managed to build a young squad – with an average age of 22.5 – but a very ambitious one. "We're a team that goes against the grain; when things are at their worst, that's when we push the hardest," Panitti explained at ARA.

Judith Vizuete (Granollers, 1995) is preparing for the season in which she will return to play handball for the club in her hometown, where she trained, after six years. With her signing, BM Granollers has announced the return of the club's all-time leading scorer, In her last season at Vallès, she was the highest-scoring player in the women's premier league. She reiterates that she's eager to "return home" and admits to feeling "proud" to have been welcomed with open arms. During this time away from Granollers, she has made the leap to professional handball, first in the Canary Islands, with BM Salud de Tenerife, and then in Romania, with Cluj-Napoca, CS Mioveni, and CS Magura Cisnadei.

Martina Capdevila Barbany (Granollers, 2001) will be enjoying a very special weekend. Starting Friday, the capital of Vallès Oriental will host the final phase of the Queen's Cup for handball, with KH-7 BM Granollers hosting the tournament and vying for the title for the first time. The team from Vallès will face Balonmano Morvedre on Friday in the quarterfinals and are dreaming of reaching Sunday's final thanks to the goals scored by Capdevila, who at 23 has already scored more than 500 in the league. In fact, this year she leads the top scorers' standings. Now she wants to win a title in front of her hometown. Her family's history is the story of Granollers handball.