When I am asked about the best moments in my career as a coach, one of the first that comes to mind is the return to the ACB with CAI Zaragoza. I will always remember that Friday, 9th May 2008. More than a decade of suffering was left behind, a decade of seeing how some of the most loyal fans in the world could only watch the best teams in Spain on TV.
Thinking about it more calmly, the fact of being in the silver category of Spanish basketball is a very succulent reward, but a historic club like CAI could not be content with that. It was a difficult season. The only objective, like in the previous 12 years, was to return to the elite.
We were regular throughout the season. We were always leaders, which gave us the morale to think that this year could be the one. After several matches toying with mathematical promotion, we finally got there with a victory over CB L’Hospitalet by 91 to 64. Fortunately, in this match, which I remember perfectly, we managed to break the scoreboard before the interval, so you can imagine the party in the pavilion during the second half.
What can I say about the fans! Spectacular, great, magnificent… There aren’t enough adjectives to describe all those people who accompanied us on the return to the ACB. We obtained the highest average attendance in Europe in spite of the fact that their team was playing in the Gold ELB. The Príncipe Felipe Pavilion and the city of Zaragoza showed what it is to love basketball. They will always be in my heart and I will be happy for all the good things that happen to them.