Sergio Llull Retires from the National Team

Sergio Llull announced his retirement from the national team on Monday. At 37, the Balearic guard of Real Madrid, the last survivor of Spain's 2009 European champion team, will no longer play with 'La Familia', the name given to the national team with which he has won seven medals in major competitions, four of them gold.

"I'm a bit nervous. I'd rather have the ball in my hand with six seconds to play and one point down. I close my chapter as a national team player. It has been an honour and a privilege to defend this jersey for so many summers. It has been an incredible journey. I've given my soul... and some parts of my body," Llull admitted at the FEB Museum in Alcobendas (Madrid), surrounded by former teammates and friends, recalling the serious right knee injury he suffered in the summer of 2017, in Tenerife, during a friendly against Belgium.

Llull leaves the national team after playing 173 games for Spain, ranking as the fifteenth player with the most international appearances. During his 15 years with the national team, the Menorcan player has won a world title (2019) and three European titles (2009, 2011, and 2015), as well as an Olympic silver and bronze, in London 2012 and Rio 2016, respectively, and another bronze at the 2013 Eurobasket.

"I feel very privileged," proclaimed Llull, proud of the values he has conveyed with Spain's basketball 'La Familia', led by Sergio Scariolo. "The 'we' is always more important than the 'I'," said Llull, who was first called up by the coach on August 14, 2009, during the preparation for the Eurobasket, the year Spain won its first continental gold in Poland. Llull was then one of the invitees to the team's training camp and managed to secure a spot in the eventual champion team, becoming one of the most decisive players from then on.