70 Years of Girona Basketball: New Book Chronicles 45 Local Players in Spain’s Elite League

Book Launch and Regional Milestone

The publication traces seven decades of elite competition since the formation of Spain’s premier basketball division during the 1956-57 season. Guardiola's work examines how local talent progressed from the historic Primera División through the modern era of the Liga ACB. The book is scheduled to be presented at the Casa de Cultura de Girona, bringing together many of the athletes, coaches, and figures featured in its pages.

“Quaranta-cinc is the book that, to put it simply, summarizes all the Gironans who have played in the elite of state basketball in 70 years of history,” Guardiola stated regarding the project.

From Primera División to the Liga ACB

According to historical records compiled in the book, the top flight operated as the Primera División for 27 seasons before transitioning to the Liga ACB format in the 1983-84 campaign. Of the 45 athletes profiled in the volume, 11 competed during the Primera División era, while 34 reached the Liga ACB. Three players—Tato Abadia, Joan Pagès, and Pep Pujolràs—bridged the gap by competing across both eras.

The competitive pathway began nine seasons after the league’s inception. Ramon Moliné, a native of Blanes, became the first player from the Girona region to reach the highest category, standing as the sole local representative for three seasons before fellow Blanes native Agustí Rabassa joined him. Robert Mora followed, opening a door that steadily widened over subsequent decades. At the opposite end of the timeline stands Izan Soler, who made his debut in the Liga ACB last season playing for Bàsquet Girona in Lleida.

The Impact of CB Girona and Valvi

A transformative chapter in regional basketball arrived with the presence of a Girona team in the Liga ACB under the Valvi sponsorship. Having a local club in the top tier for 20 seasons created opportunities for homegrown talent. Guardiola estimates that approximately 20 of the players featured in the book appeared in the Liga ACB exclusively while representing the Girona club. The current Bàsquet Girona has added five additional seasons in the top flight, helping maintain a continuous pathway for local athletes.

“In Girona there has always been good basketball,” Guardiola noted, reflecting on the sustained health of the sport in the region since the 1960s. “Maybe not quite from the very beginning, but since the sixties. There has always been good basketball and we have never lost it.”

Beyond the Playing Court

The scope of Quaranta-cinc extends beyond athletes who wore a uniform on the court, incorporating regional figures who reached the elite level from the sidelines and officiating crews. Rafael Mora and Pepe Rodríguez are highlighted for their coaching stints at the top level. Mora managed the Valvi team during the closing stretch of the 1988-89 season following the dismissal of Gavaldà, attempting to secure survival in the division. Rodríguez assumed technical duties on an interim basis between the departure of Alfred Julbe and the arrival of Iñaki Iriarte. In the refereeing ranks, Yasmina Alcaraz represents the region after multiple seasons officiating in the top competition.

The volume also catalogs sports directors such as Jordi Puig, Jordi Plà, and Xus Escosa, alongside assistant coaches and delegates. The text also acknowledges figures defined as "adopted Gironans"—individuals from outside the region who forged deep professional ties with local clubs, including Alfred Julbe, Trifón Poch, Claudi Martínez, Xavi Fernández, Darryl Middleton, and Marc Gasol.

Origins of the Project

The book serves as a companion piece to Guardiola’s earlier work, Cent catorze, which chronicled Gironan football players who reached the top division. Completing that football encyclopedia left the author with the ambition to document basketball. “A lot of people told me: ‘Now you have to do the basketball one,'” Guardiola explained, noting the extensive work required to cross-reference data, statistics, and historical records to ensure accuracy. After keeping the project in reserve, he adopted the same graphic and documentary layout used in his previous book to establish a consistent collection dedicated to Girona’s male sports elite.