Xevi Pujol, the 31-year-old guru who pulls the strings of Baxi Manresa, the revelation team of the ACB: "We make a virtue of necessity"

• Sanli Interview: "As a child, even I joked about my height"

• Tenerife Survives Joventut's comeback

When, in 1996,

scored one of the most iconic three-pointers in national basketball to give TDK Manresa the first and only Cup in its history in Murcia, a five-year-old boy dyed his hair red to go to school every day following.

"At school they didn't talk about anything else. In the afternoon we went to celebrate it in the Plaza Mayor with the players," recalls

who today, at just 31 years old, directs the new 'miracle' of Bages from the offices.

Because Manresa, now Baxi, is back in a Cup. The last time was in 2004 and Xevi also has a good story.

On that occasion, in Seville, he went to play the Mini Cup, where he had to defend a certain

.

"Better not ask how we are," jokes now the youngest sports director of the ACB, the guy who searches and searches half the world to bring

the soldiers who today, from third place in the classification (14-7) , they challenge Barça (9:30 p.m., Let's go) in the quarterfinals of the Cup. The same Barça that they knocked out in the final of the Lliga Catalana and a few weeks ago at the Palau in ACB.

"There is no secret formula. We find players with no experience but with a competitive hunger, with projection to continue improving and growing. We have others involved who have been at the club for years, who are an active part of the adaptation of the new ones. And a technical staff with Pedro Martínez at the head who knows how to be demanding and professional, take advantage of resources and adapt to the virtues of the players", says the precocious Xevi, the guru who has brought

.

Pujol, together with Pedro Martínez.Joaquim Alberch / BAXI Manresa

In the face of economic hardship, imagination.

And "risk".

They found the Finn Valtonen in Germany and Moneke in France.

"Chima was a high-energy, hyperactive player who could have an impact in the league. We just decided talking to

[Spanish manager for the Nuggets], who was an assistant for the Nigerian team," reveals Pujol, who speaks of the non-negotiable in such a modest club.

"The margin for error is limited. We need a competitive team and as Pedro says, we make a virtue of necessity. This club is used to surviving, we are good at this, managing risk, defeat and bad times. From above they transmit calm, confidence and patience. We all go hand in hand".

Because Xevi carries the embedded Manresa DNA.

He stopped playing in the lower categories at the age of 15, but at 20 he was back, when

offered him a disinterested hand: "I spent two years doing very basic tasks: rebounding players, recording matches and training... .".

"I liked basketball a lot. It's the reason why I haven't been a good student, because I thought about preparing for training sessions, even for the Supermanager teams. I used to spend a lot of time in my head. This caused me problems with my parents", he is honest, since he dropped out of school.

At the age of 24, he was already the third coach, precisely with Pedro Martínez.

Last summer, they offered him sports management, quite a leap.

"It was an important personal dilemma. Because I had been training as a coach for many years, my head thought 100% as a coach, but at the same time I was very excited about looking for players, especially young ones. When they put it to me, I reflect on it and I think I would have regretted not taking it. The truth is that I am very happy with the decision, I feel comfortable. I miss the court a little, the teamwork...", says a guy who negotiates for players who are, in many cases older than him.

- How many hours do you have to dedicate to discover those pearls?

- I would like to dedicate more.

We are forced to take a closer look elsewhere and reinvent ourselves every summer.

This year we have tried to make a more athletic team, taking into account the two competitions (Manresa also gallops without brake in the FIBA ​​Champions).

The players we have have wanted to come, they have prioritized us and this is something important.

They are clear about our philosophy and demand.

You can win or lose, but there are non-negotiable things.

Conforms to The Trust Project criteria

Know more

• Manresa

ACBUn classic between the abundance of Real Madrid and the threatening return of Mirotic

ACBJasikevicius stops Real Madrid in its tracks in a classic with final fire

Euroleague Real Madrid forgets the classic with a beating of Unics Kazan

See links of interest

• Last News

• Diaz Ayuso

• Translator

• What

• Work calendar 2022

• Home THE WORLD today

• Joventut de Badalona - Lenovo Tenerife, live

• Zenit St Petersburg - Real Betis

• Barcelona-Napoli

• Borussia Dortmund - Rangers

• Sheriff Tiraspol - Sporting Braga