Basketball mourns the passing of Pedro Ferrandiz at the age 93. He was a pioneering Spanish coach and Real Madrid legend, but he also coached the Spanish team. His 27 titles, which are a testament to the club’s unparalleled track record, would have been impossible to understand the basketball section of the white team. He was recently disqualified from Lolo Sainz’s and Pablo Laso’s five additional awards.
The madridistas won four of the five first European Cups. He was a pioneering coach who revolutionized the sport in Spain. He also won 12 Leagues with the merengues and 11 Cups. He was a self-taught coach and was Whites’ coach for 13 seasons. This included the years 1959-1962, 1964-1965, 1966-1975, and 1965-1965. He managed Madrid for 490 games. Between 1964 and 1965, the European Championship in Russia took place, he commanded the national team.
The legendary Wayne Brabender was one of the first to lead at the time. He stressed that Ferrandiz was a person who combined the qualities that coaches should have with being very friendly. Ferrandiz was among the first coaches to leave Spain to find pearls to polish at Real Madrid. This was exactly how he recruited the extraordinary American forward from Minnesota in 1967. Brabender would win 28 titles over 16 courses, so he kept his eyes open.
Ferrandiz was Raimundo Sporta’s right eye, the leader of the Real Madrid basketball section. He was so successful that he literally went from organizing a tournament and directing children to leading a team with great success. He retired at 46, perhaps tired of winning so many titles during Madrid’s hegemonic era. But he never left the basket.
Ferrandiz is more than just a basketball coach. Master classes were held in the most prestigious colloquiums through the foundation. It was established in 1991. It is also where you will find the Samaranch library, which is the largest dedicated to basketball in the world.
He is a member of the Naishmith Hall of Fame since 2007, and the FIBA Hall of Fame since 2009. And 2019, respectively. His mark will be permanent. He is also a recipient of the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sports Merit, and the Collar of the Olympic Order.
Spanish basketball’s giant is now gone. He believed that success requires taking risks and not being afraid to fail. Real Madrid expressed condolences in a statement, saying that Ferrandiz’s “legacy will be eternal” not only due to his titles, but also because of his spirit and innovation, which made him a pioneer in the sport.
Jorge Garbajosa, the president of the Spanish Federation, also expressed regret at his passing. We have a special fondness for him at the FEB because of the transfer he made to his museum to make Espacio 2014 from the entire building and all of its material. We will always remember the gift he made to the Federation Museum of his Springfield Hall of Fame Ring.
