COMMUNICATION FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CLUB JOVENTUT BADALONA
This is the communication made by the Board in connection with Ricky Rubio.
With the signature of the professional employment agreement, of 5 years duration period, with the player Ricky Rubio, it was clearly showed the willingness of both parties to fulfill the contract in all its terms.
Last April, in a conference press summoned unilaterally by the player, he expressed his decision to terminate the contract to go to the NBA at the end of the season 2008-2009 and, consequently, to enforce the buy-out clause in the agreement.
The position of the Club has been always the same: to keep the player according to what it was set forth in the contract and, in any case, to postpone as much as possible his departure.
In spite of this, at the initiative of the player, conversations were held to formalize what it is foreseen in the agreement if Ricky Rubio wishes to leave Joventut to go to the NBA.
DKV Joventut, being respectful with the player´s decision, and acting always in defense of its interest as an entity, and based on what it was signed in the contract, has put all the efforts to find a satisfactory solution suitable to everybody.
Yesterday, after a big effort from the two parties, DKV Joventut and Minnesota Timberwolves reached an agreement which permited to terminate the contractual relationship between the player and the Club and his integration in the NBA team.
In front of this situation and in contradiction with what he has been saying to us and to Timberwolves´ representatives from time to time, the player has announced the decision that he wants to be transferred to FC Barcelona.
From a very beginning, never at our own initiative, we have been receptive and we have negotiated with maximum respect and clarity with everybody, accepting that the player wants to leave and that we should find the best suitable solution.
Accordingly, we acknowledge the importance of the offer of FC Barcelona and the fact that the representatives have been always correct with us. Also, we would like to make an special mention of our recognition to Minnesota Timberwolves for the treatment they have deserved to us, for the fact that they have perfectly understood our position and for the effort that we have put together so that we could reach an outstanding agreement for the present and the future, which will not be effective due to the player´s decision, which, as we said before, we fully respect.
Visca la Penya!
Click here for David Kahn's statement
Click here for Ricky Rubio's statement
Click here for DKV Joventut statement