FC Barcelona – Joventut de Badalona Catalan Classic

For the sixth season running, FC Barcelona and Fiatc Joventut will face off in the final of the Lliga Catalana in Girona tonight(21.00). Barça have won the title 16 times and will be looking to make that 17 ahead of the start of the Lliga Endesa against  València Basket at the Palau Blaugrana this weekend.

The match will be preceded by a homage to Darryl Middleton, one of Girona’s most popular ever players, who has decided to leave the European game, but keep playing despite his 47 years.

 “We want this title”

Victor Sada spoke before the game about the importance of winning the competition – which has been running for 34 years now: “this is a classic game in Catalan basketball and I hope there are a lot of fans watching the game. The game we played at Sant Julià will be a reference point, but over the last month both teams have changed a lot. Sada insisted that in the Super Cup Final against Real Madrid “we didn’t play the way we would have liked to, but we are doing the right things and training hard – we want to win the Lliga Catalana title”.

Sada also revealed that he’d been explaining the rivalry between Barça and Joventut to the Club’s new signings: “we’ve made it clear that along with Madrid and more recently Caja Laboral, Joventut are one of our historic rivals and that this is a big final for the Club”.

FC Barcelona were given a bye to the final and Joventut beat Bruixa d’Or Manresa this Wednesday (82-78)to reach the final.