Chicho

Cándido Sibilio, better known as “Chicho”, was one of the stars of the successful Barcelona basketball team in the 1980s. Chicho, Epi (Juan Antonio San Epifanio) and Nacho (Ignacio Solozábal), were the star trio of the team that displaced Real Madrid as Spain’s leading club side.

Born in the Dominican Republic, Sibilio was the youngest of seven children. He started playing basketball as a youngster but gave it up saying: “It was a girl’s sport”. He then turned to his first love, and the Dominican Republic’s number one sport, baseball. He was talked into returning to basketball, however, and American colleges soon had him in their sights, but Barcelona convinced Sibilio’s family to let him move to Spain, which he did in February 1976. Difficulties getting his citizenship, however, meant he could play only with the Barcelona juniors, until 1977, when he finally obtained his Spanish nationality.

During Sibilio’s 13-years with the club, Barcelona won everything, except the European Cup (beaten by PV Roma in the 1984 final being the closest they came). Barcelona won the Spanish League five times, however, in 1981, 1983, 1987-89, and the Spanish Cup (Copa del Rey) on eight occasions, in 1978-83, 1987-88. Sibilio also won the European Cup-winners’ Cup twice, the Korac Cup, the Prince of Asturias Cup, and the Club World Cup. Personally, he averaged 18.8 points per game, and was the first player to make 650 “3-pointers” in the ACB (Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto).

Internationally, Sibilio won 87 Spanish caps, and scored 1,324 points, between 1980-87, and was the first black player to represent Spain. He made his début at the 1980 Moskva Olympics, scoring 17 points against the USSR. The highlight of his international career was in winning a silver medal at the 1983 European Championships (Eurobasket). He missed out on Spain’s silver at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, pulling out of the squad, preferring to return to his homeland and visit his family.

After leaving Barça, following a dispute with the coach, the often controversial Sibilio joined Baskonia (Taugres de Vitoria), and spent four seasons with them before retiring at the end of the 1992-93 season. He returned to his native Dominican Republic and started coaching youngsters. In 2000, he was appointed to the coaching staff of the Dominican Basketball Federation. Sibilio died at the age of 60, having been a long-time diabetes sufferer.