FC Barcelona and Juan Carlos Navarro have reached an agreement to revise the Barça legend’s contract through to 2029, deferring the final year of his existing deal over the next three seasons. Navarro will also take on new responsibilities within the basketball department. Having served as the general manager in recent seasons, he will now become the section’s ambassador and mentor to young players in the club’s youth academy.

A lifelong Barça career

The relationship between Barça and Navarro dates back to 1992, when he joined the youth basketball programme at the age of 12. He made his first-team debut in 1997 and within a few years had established himself as one of the most important players in the history of the section. In 2003, 'La Bomba' played a key role in Barça’s first EuroLeague triumph, before captaining the team to its second title in 2010, when he was named Final Four MVP. During the 2007/08 season, he played for the Memphis Grizzlies, where he was reunited with Pau Gasol.

Navarro remains Barça’s all-time leading scorer and assist provider in the ACB League, the player with the most league titles in the club’s history, its all-time leading scorer in the EuroLeague, and the holder of numerous other records. Those achievements firmly establish him as the greatest player in the history of the section. On 1 March 2019, his iconic No. 11 jersey was retired in an emotional ceremony at the Palau Blaugrana.

After retiring as a player in 2018, Juan Carlos Navarro remained closely involved with the club. He first served as head of the youth academy from 2019 to 2021 before being appointed general manager of the basketball section on 16 April 2021.

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