Copa del Rey basketball: Pau Ribas: “If we win, everything is fine; if not, there is a crisis”

The Barcelona escort, European champion (2015) and the world (2019) with the Spanish team, faces Valencia Basket on Thursday (19.00) in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.

Pau Ribas (Badalona, ​​1987) is living a bittersweet season. He was proclaimed champion of the world with Spain last year, but an injury forced him to stay longer than expected on his return to Bara and his technician, Svetislav Pesic, is not giving too much prominence. However, he knows that the requirement of a team like this is maximum and puts the collective ahead of the individual issues. It only has one goal: to win.

This year the crossing with Real Madrid will arrive in the semifinals. Does that influence in any way when preparing the Cup?

It does not matter to me. To win, you have to win three games, I don't care about the order. If you win, you pass, if not, for home.

The last two finals they played were very close.

Obviously, Real Madrid has more quality and more experience in these matches. We are happy to be matched with them, because a few years ago they were superior. That means that we have improved as a team and that we are in good dynamics. This year we have the best possible template to try to win titles.

The last two editions have traveled to Barcelona. That means more pressure for the team?

Here we play to win. If we win, everything is fine; If not, there is crisis. That gives us confidence. We know that with Pesic the Cups have gone well, we have won the last two titles with him, we are good. We will see if we can confirm this, but now we only think of Valencia.

Was it special to take the trophy on the track of the great rival?

Yes, it was special to win the Cup in Madrid and against Real Madrid. It was a complicated game for everyone. For us, for them, for the referees … We should all forget about that and focus the Cup in a healthy way. In sport there is no past, only the present counts, and our present is to try to do it well.

The fact that there is so much expectation with the Euroleague can get to decentralize them?

If I am honest, within the team that does not detract from us. A lot of people talk about the Euroleague, but I've been here for five years and I still haven't achieved the title of the ACB. In the locker room we want to fight for the League, for the Cup and for everything. Now is when the titles begin to be decided, at the end of the season we will see how everything has gone, but our confidence is absolute.

On a personal level, his season is being a roller coaster.

Come to win the World Cup, to play well, to have minutes and, in the first training, I hurt myself. It is hard, because you arrive well in form, with confidence, with the moral injection that gives you to be world champion, but the sport is like that. It got longer than we all expected, but all that is already forgotten and I feel very good, very energetic and very confident. The sport is present, and think in November, what seems like it was nothing, it is no longer worth it. There are four months of competition left, the best of the season and I am very mentalized to do well and help the team.

What do you expect from this year?

I came to Bara to win, not to play more or less. I'm here to help the team in whatever way I can and right now all our options are intact. I always want to win, wherever it is, I have achieved titles in all the teams in which I have played. In this regard, the individual role, with the 33 years that I will fulfill in a couple of weeks, is no longer what matters most to me. It is different if you compare it with when you are 26 years old, with the whole race ahead and want to go climbing goals. You focus on winning, the Euroleague is the only title I need. I care more about the team than the individual issues.

Until when do you see yourself playing basketball?

Physically, I'm fine. Mentally, too. Things can change, I want to continue, but I don't get too long. When I see that I don't feel like I've felt throughout my sports career, decide to quit. More than anything, to be able to do other things. Everyone says so, the sport is very beautiful, but while you're playing. There are many other things you can't do, be with family, with friends, a thousand stories that you can't dedicate yourself to. When I see that I am no longer 100% focused on basketball, well, I dedicate myself to something else.