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  Days away from playing a European competition for the first time since 2001, Cajasol is looking to reclaim its glory days by reaching the Eurocup through that competition's second qualifying round, which starts next Tuesday, November 4. Founded in 1987, Cajasol's road to success started in the Spanish second division, but within two seasons, it was promoted to the first, making this Cajasol's 20th consecutive year in the domestic elite. The club lived its golden age in the late 1990s, with Spanish League finals appearances in 1996 and 1999 leading to Euroleague berths in 1997 and 2000. In the new millennium, however, Cajasol – known as Caja San Fernando until its savings bank sponsor changed names in 2006 – has not reached the Spanish League playoffs. In preparation for the Eurocup qualifying round, management fully reloaded Cajasol's roster with experienced players like Andrea Pecile and Dusko Savanovic, who hope to join the likes of Andre Turner, Michael Anderson, Richard Scott, Raul Perez and Darrell Lockhart on the list of the best players in club history. When Cajasol steps on court at Riga Arena in the Latvian capital next Tuesday, it will be its first European game in 2,829 days. It may well mark the start of a new era for the club.
Even though C.B. Sevilla was founded in 1987, basketball has been played in Seville for decades. Seville has the honor to be the first Southern Spanish city in which basketball was played in the 1930s, despite the fact that the first organized game took place in Granada in 1934. It was not until 1959 when Club Natacion Sevilla played in the Spanish second division for the first time. Both football teams in the city, Sevilla F.C. and Real Betis Balompie, also had their respective basketball section back in the 1960s. Sevilla made it to the Spanish League in 1963 with players like Luis Trujillano and Adolfo Beneyto. The team only stayed one year in the Spanish elite, but returned again in 1965. Despite signing Quino Abascal and Ramon Guardiola, Sevilla went down to 1966. It took more than two decades for the city to have another team in the Spanish League, but on June 8, 1987, CB Sevilla bought the rights from Dribbling Madrid to play in the Spanish second division. Despite signing rebounding ace Terry White and sharp shooter Mark Crow, the brand new Caja San Fernando lost the chance to reach the Spanish elite in a do-or-die playoff series against archrivals Mayoral Maristas.
 Caja San Fernando reloaded in the 1988-89 season with head coach Jose Alberto Pesquera and star center Abdul Jeelani. Despite not having the home court advantage, Caja San Fernando downed Lagisa Gijon in the quarterfinals – on series-winning free throws by Jeelani – and swept its semifinal series against Syrius Patronato to reach the ACB. A dream came true for the city of Seville and the team has been in the Spanish elite ever since. Caja San Fernando kept coach Pesquera and despite a slow start, the arrival of Lockhart changed the team for good. He joined forces with Dan Bingenheimer to make Caja go from last place to finish 12th overall. Lockhart and Bingenheimer would lead Caja for two more seasons along with homegrown prospect Raul Perez, playmaker Javier Lafuente and forward Chus Llano. Caja San Fernando started to beat all the big names in the ACB and consolidated its status as a strong team in the league.
A step forwards was needed and the club took it by inking forward Darryl Middleton and scorer Brian Jackson to play alongside Lockhart, Perez and Carlos Montes. Caja San Fernando delivered, finishing fifth overall and earning the right to make its debut in European club competitions. The club added playmaker Nacho Azofra to the mix and ranked sixth in the Spanish League, even though it didn't survive the group stage in the 1994 Korac Cup, facing European basketball giants such as Olimpia Milano and PAOK. Caja San Fernando returned to the Korac Cup in 1995 with Dan Godfread and Granger Hall joining forces with Azofra, Perez and Benito Doblado, but the team did not reach the elimination rounds nor the Spanish League playoffs. A new revolution was needed and Aleksandar Petrovic became its new head coach, starting the club's first golden era. With players like Anderson, Warren Kidd and Scott as well as an improved Perez, Caja San Fernando knocked off Real Madrid and Manresa in the playoffs to reach the ACB finals against Barcelona, earning a spot for the 1997 Euroleague and turning Seville into a basketball crazy city for the first time.
 Caja San Fernando had a good Euroleague debut registering road wins against Union Olimpija and Partizan while beating Dynamo Moscow, Kinder Bologna and Adecco Asvel at home. The club, led by Anderson, Tellis Frank and Nacho Romero and with Petrovic still on the bench, made it to the eighthfinals, losing against Fortitudo Bologna. Caja San Fernando bounced back from a slow 1997-98 season when it hired Javier Imbroda as its new head coach and Turner stepped in as the floor general. Scott was also back, while Romero, Mike Smith and Chuck Kornegay. Caja San Fernando was about to win its first title when it led by 10 in the 1999 Spanish King's Cup final, but Turner got injured and Tau Ceramica rallied to lift the trophy. The club returned to the Spanish League finals in 1999, but Barcelona stood again in its way to success. Caja had a strong start in the 2000 Euroleague season with the same core of players, winning its first five home games, but the team failed to reach the playoffs. Moreover, Caja San Fernando was knocked off in the ACB quarterfinals despite having the home-court advantage against Tau.
 The club's last appearance in European club competitions took place in the 2001 Saporta Cup, as Caja San Fernando survived the group stage, but lost against Anwil Wloclawek in the eighthfinals on points differential. The club has not returned to the ACB playoffs since 2000 despite having players like Donatas Slanina, Matt Santangelo, Hollis Price, Lou Roe, Andy Panko, Antonio Granger, Corey Brewer and Francisco Elson. The highest point of the club in the new millennium came in 2004, when Caja San Fernando hosted the Spanish King's Cup final eight and advanced to the semifinals, losing against Tau Ceramica. A new era started when Caja San Fernando merged with El Monte to become Cajasol in 2007. Even though the team had a 4-13 record at some point, the return of legendary head coach Manel Comas helped Cajasol to rank 10th in the ACB regular season last season, winning eight of its last 13 games. Perez saw his number retired right before the start of the season in a historical night for the club. Despite a slow start of the season, Cajasol already showed its power with an epic 109-116 overtime road win against Real Madrid last weekend. The time has come for Cajasol to return to European club competitions and the club hopes to make the most out of this opportunity.
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Javier Gancedo, Eurocupbasketball.com
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