Basketball star Ricky Rubio returns to Barcelona
Guard registered to play in domestic competition and Euroleague until the end of the season
FC Barcelona and Ricky Rubio have reached an agreement for the basketball star to join the Catalan club until the end of the season.
This agreement depends on the player's progress as he finds himself in the final stages of his recovery, according to a press release from FC Barcelona.
Barça have registered the point guard in the domestic ACB League and continental Euroleague after he underwent medical tests at the club's compound.
Ricky Rubio's return to competition will come when the player himself decides the time is right, the statement adds.
The basketball legend has been training with the Catalan club in recent weeks after a ten-year stint in the NBA.
"I have reached the final stage of my recovery," Rubio posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday morning, referring to mental health problems which forced him to put his career on hold last summer.
"After many weeks working on my body and mind, I feel keen and strong enough to see how I feel with a ball in my hands," he said.
Eight trophies and 140 games for Barça
Ricky Rubio's haul of eight trophies at Barça included two Copas del Rey, one Liga ACB (10/11) and one EuroLeague (09/10), the latter the second of the club's two continental titles, when the captain was Roger Grimau, now head coach. Another of his team-mates, Juan Carlos Navarro, is now manager, while Víctor Sada is back at the club as assistant coach.
In total, Rubio played 140 competitive matches for FC Barcelona, according to the club's website.
Highest civil distinction
The Spanish government awarded Ricky Rubio the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sports Merit on January 9, the highest distinction that an athlete can receive in Spain.
The Catalan athlete also stands out for his work off the court through the foundation that bears his name, The Ricky Rubio Foundation, which develops various social projects, his involvement in giving visibility to mental health, and his public health work on anti-smoking campaigns.
With the award of the Grand Cross, Rubio joins other athletes who have achieved this distinction such as Rafa Nadal, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and Iker Casillas, Teresa Perales, Laia Palau, and Rubio's own national team colleague, Pau Gasol.