Sito Alonso quotes from his presentation as the new Barça Lassa coach

New FC Barcelona Lassa head basketball coach Sito Aloinso was officially presented on Monday. Here are the highlights of what he had to say:

Opening statement:

"Above all it's about the excitement I have for this project and the challenges we have set for ourselves, which I think form part of a unique and special project ... I have to generate excitement for FC Barcelona fans, who want to see a competitive team, and who want to see something they identify with ... That's the first thing. That's what caught my attention, in the meetings we have every day ... I think I can be an important part of the identity being sought, to help with everything the club might need to achieve this excitement that we are looking for." 

On signing with FC Barcelona:

"I think it's the best moment — it's never a bad moment to sign with FC Barcelona. I think any coach in the world would like to be the coach of Barça ... So I think the news is positive and good for me ... I think we are generating a lot of excitement, from the things I'm hearing, and I think working together we can achieve what we are looking for, to be competitive again, to have our own identity like always, and I think for me this is the right moment."

On his prevailing philosophy:

"If you're not competitive it's impossible to win. In a club like this, winning games is structural — you have to win, but the most important thing is how. Competing to the maximum, you have a much better shot at doing that, and that's our goal.

On Juan Carlos Navarro:

He's not just a player who can play and bring us joy ... we have to think of him as a fundamental piece of our model and our method, because he's the player with the most longevity. He's been with the club the longest, he's had all types of experiences and he knows better than anybody how to get to the first team ... So he's a player we have to take advantage of in two ways, first because of his level of play, and second because of his personality, commitment and experience that can be used to help others, to make us all better."

On incorporating young players:

"From my point of view, the young players first need to work hard, and the relationship between the first team and the reserves is going to be fundamental. Quite often the coaches of the reserves feel, maybe not abandoned, but distant from the first team due to the circumstances of the first team in its competitions ... So my basic idea is for the reserve team director and the coaches to identify a group of players who might pertain to the work being done on the first team ... It can't be everybody, it has to be the ones who we think can form part of the first team ... Training with the first team does not mean playing, in the end it's the player who earns playing time ... In my experience, it's always been the player who has opened the door to playing time."