Sergi Panadero number 9 jersey to be retired and hang in the Palau Blaugrana
The number 9 Sergi Panadero jersey is set to be permanently on show at the Palau Blaugrana, as FC Barcelona have decided to honour the legendary roller hockey player. He retired at the end of last season after a brillant career in the blaugrana jersey over 21 seasons and after 68 trophy wins – placing him fifth on the institution's all-time list for trophies won.
The tribute event will take place at the Palau Blaugrana after the first game of the OK Liga Playoff quarterfinals, which is scheduled for the weekend of the 17/18 May, with the exact date and opponent still to be confirmed.
Still part of the Club's operations with a role coordinating the Barça Genuine team, Panadero is delighted that president Joan Laporta and the Board of Directors have decided to retire and hang his jersey in the Palau Blaugrana.
"That the Club, led by president Joan Laporta, have considered my jersey should hang in the Palau is a dream come true. It's an honour, a source of both pride and great satisfaction that all those years I spent with the Club and everything I tried to give from the first day I put that jersey on are acknowledged.
"It's always special going into the Palau and you always get a bit of a tingling feeling, and a lot of thoughts and experiences you've had in here come to mind. I am particularly thrilled that my children can enjoy a special day for me and that they know that their father was a hockey player for many years and that the work was recognised by hanging the jersey".
Many successes along the way
Throughout his career, 'Pana' represented the FC Barcelona values everywhere, becoming an admired and respected player by every professional and fan of this sport. With only Aitor Egurrola ahead (78), he is the second most decorated player in the professional team's history (68). The Catalan player won 18 OK Ligas, 8 WSE Champions Leagues, 11 Copa del Reys, 5 Intercontinental Cups, 8 Continental Cups, 13 Spanish Super Cups, 4 Catalan Leagues, and 1 CERS Cup (the current WSE Europe Cup). He also won 4 World Championships, 5 European Championships, and 1 Nations Cup with the Spanish national team, as well as 1 Golden Cup and 1 Copa América with Catalonia.
Other retired jerseys
This will be the third roller hockey team jersey to hang in the Palau Blaugrana, joining the Beto Borregán number 21 (58 trophies) and the Aitor Egurrola number 1 (78).
Other sportspersons with a retired jersey number are the handball players Òscar Grau (2), Xavier O’Callaghan (4), Enric Masip (5), Iñaki Urdangarín (7), Víctor Tomàs (8), Joan Sagalés (14), and David Barrufet (16); the basketball players Andrés Jiménez (4), Nacho Solozábal (7), Juan Carlos Navarro (11), Roberto Dueñas (12), and Juan Antonio San Epifanio Epi (15); and the futsal keeper Paco Sedano (28). The Club also recently announced that the Sergio Lozano number 9 jersey will also join this select group.