The new-look Class Bàsquet Sant Antoni will face its first serious test of the 2026-2027 preseason on Sunday, September 6, when it takes on Fibwi Mallorca Bàsquet Palma at the Siroko Sa Pedrera Pavilion in Sant Antoni.

The friendly, scheduled for 19:00, forms part of the Trofeu AON Illes Balears, the preseason competition organised by the Federació de Bàsquet de les Illes Balears.

For Class Sant Antoni, the game represents the first opportunity to test a substantially renewed squad against an opponent from a higher division. Sant Antoni competes in Segunda FEB, while Fibwi Mallorca Bàsquet Palma will play in Primera FEB during the 2026-2027 campaign.

A first look at the new Class Sant Antoni

The match arrives after only a few days of preseason preparation for Class Sant Antoni.

The Ibiza side has undergone a significant change during the summer, with numerous new players joining the squad and Boris Balibrea taking over as head coach.

That makes Sunday's game less about the final result and more about seeing how quickly the new group can translate its training work into an organised style of play.

Balibrea has stressed that the team is still at a very early stage of preparation and that the main objective is to establish the principles and philosophy the squad will use during the season.

The game comes against a team from Primera FEB

The challenge is considerable because Fibwi Mallorca Bàsquet Palma competes one division above Class Sant Antoni.

Primera FEB is the second tier of Spanish men's basketball, immediately below the ACB.

Fibwi Mallorca is also entering the season with a new coach, Álex Formento, and a substantially renewed squad.

The Mallorca team began its preseason programme only recently and will use the match in Sant Antoni as its first opportunity to play together in an official preseason fixture.

Class Sant Antoni has plenty of new faces

Supporters attending the game will have their first chance to see many of the players recruited for the 2026-2027 season.

The club has built a new-look roster after another demanding Segunda FEB campaign and another attempt to reach the promotion stage.

The only announced absence for Sunday's fixture is Kai Johnson, who has been given permission to join the team later because of personal reasons.

That means Balibrea should have most of his new group available for its first preseason appearance.

Balibrea wants to focus on his own team's development

The Sant Antoni coach has made it clear that he does not intend to place too much emphasis on the opponent at this stage.

With only a short period of training behind the squad, Balibrea believes the priority is to establish the team's own ideas.

He described the match as a difficult preparation test and said Fibwi Mallorca will demand a high level from his players.

Rather than preparing specifically to counter Mallorca's style, the Sant Antoni coaching staff has focused on implementing the principles worked on during the opening training sessions.

Preseason work has already been intense

The Class Sant Antoni squad has had a heavy workload during its first days of preparation.

Balibrea said the players were responding well despite the intensity of the sessions.

Some players have experienced minor physical discomfort, which the coach described as normal during the early stages of preseason when training loads increase and coaches attempt to establish a high playing rhythm.

The staff will therefore also be using Sunday's game to evaluate how the players respond physically to their first competitive minutes.

Fibwi Mallorca also has a new project

The visitors arrive in Sant Antoni with changes of their own.

Álex Formento has taken over as head coach and the Palma club has rebuilt much of its squad ahead of its new Primera FEB campaign.

Four players from last season remain, while several new additions have joined the roster.

The club says it has focused on reinforcing the interior positions while trying to maintain important elements from the previous season.

Fibwi Mallorca is aiming for a more comfortable season

Fibwi Mallorca secured its Primera FEB status only on the final matchday of the previous regular season.

The team now wants to avoid another campaign dominated by the fight for survival.

The arrival of Formento and the new roster forms part of that attempt to build a more competitive side.

Sunday's fixture is therefore also important for Mallorca, even though the final preseason objective is to develop the team rather than chase results.

The Trofeu AON provides a Balearic preseason competition

The match is the opening fixture of the 2026 Trofeu AON Illes Balears.

The competition brings together the Balearic teams competing in Spanish federation competitions and provides a series of preseason games before the official leagues begin.

The 2026 edition runs throughout September and uses a round-robin format.

According to the Balearic basketball federation, the tournament began on September 6 and will continue through September 27.

A chance for Ibiza basketball fans to see the new team

The match at Siroko Sa Pedrera represents the first public opportunity to see Class Sant Antoni's new squad in action.

The club's supporters have spent the summer following recruitment activity and preparations for another attempt to compete near the top of Segunda FEB.

The game should provide the first indication of how the new players fit together and how Balibrea intends to use them.

At the same time, the limited amount of preseason training means the performance should not be taken as a definitive indication of the team's eventual level.

Class Sant Antoni wants another promotion challenge

Class Sant Antoni has made repeated attempts to move up from Segunda FEB.

The team has reached the final stage of the promotion playoffs in each of its last three campaigns but has fallen short in the decisive round.

That history means the 2026-2027 season begins with considerable expectations around the Sant Antoni project.

The new coaching staff and heavily renovated squad will now attempt to take the next step.

Fibwi Mallorca will face two other Balearic opponents

The Sant Antoni fixture is only the beginning of Fibwi Mallorca's preseason schedule.

The Palma side is also due to play Hestia Menorca on September 11 and Palmer Basket Mallorca Palma on September 19.

The three games form part of its preparation for the Primera FEB season.

Fibwi Mallorca's first official league match is scheduled for September 25 against Palmer Basket Mallorca Palma.

The game is an important measuring point

For Sant Antoni, facing a Primera FEB opponent this early in the preparation period provides a useful reference.

The team will be able to see how its new defensive structure, physical level and offensive ideas perform against a higher-level opponent.

The result itself will have limited significance at this stage.

Preseason is principally about establishing rotations, building fitness, integrating new players and developing tactical understanding.

That is particularly true for a team that has changed both its coaching staff and much of its roster.

A new coach begins his first Ibiza season

Boris Balibrea is one of the central figures of the new Class Sant Antoni project.

The Catalan coach has taken over as head coach for the 2026-2027 season and is responsible for establishing a new playing identity.

His early comments suggest that he wants an energetic team capable of playing with intensity while remaining committed to a clearly defined tactical philosophy.

Sunday's match will offer the first public indication of those ideas.

The absence of Kai Johnson

Kai Johnson will not take part in the first preseason match.

The player has been granted permission to return later due to personal reasons.

The absence means that Balibrea will not yet be able to evaluate the entire squad together.

However, with the majority of the new roster available, the game should still provide a meaningful first look at the team's new structure.

Fibwi Mallorca is also only beginning its preparations

The visitors are at a similar stage from a preparation perspective.

The Mallorca squad only began its first official training sessions at the start of September after completing medical tests.

The team trained at the Toni Pizà Pavilion while work continues at Son Moix.

Sunday's game will therefore be Fibwi Mallorca's first preseason match after only a short period of work on the court.

Both teams have plenty to learn

The circumstances make Sunday's match particularly interesting.

Neither team is expected to be close to its final competitive level.

Both have new coaches, new players and significant work still to do before their respective league campaigns begin.

That should make the game a valuable learning experience for both coaching staffs.

For the players, it will be their first opportunity to reproduce training concepts against an unfamiliar opponent in a real game environment.

The official season is approaching

The timing of the match is important because the regular season is now only a few weeks away.

Fibwi Mallorca's Primera FEB campaign is scheduled to begin on September 25.

Class Sant Antoni will also use the September Trofeu AON fixtures to build towards the start of the Segunda FEB season.

Every preseason game therefore becomes progressively more important as coaches move from basic fitness work towards rotations and tactical structures.

More Balearic basketball lies ahead

The Trofeu AON will provide several other opportunities for Balearic basketball fans to watch their teams during September.

The tournament is being played in a league format, bringing together teams from the islands that compete in the Spanish basketball federation's national competitions.

The competition continues until September 27.

It therefore gives players and coaches several weeks of additional preparation before the start of the regular season.

What to expect from Sunday's game

The most important aspects to watch will not necessarily be the scoreboard.

For Class Sant Antoni, attention will be on how the new squad communicates defensively, how quickly the newcomers understand Balibrea's system and which combinations emerge on court.

The coaching staff will also want to assess fitness levels and how players react to the intensity of a game against a higher-division opponent.

For Fibwi Mallorca, the same process applies as Formento begins shaping his new roster.

Class Sant Antoni vs Fibwi Mallorca

Date: Sunday, September 6, 2026

Time: 19:00

Venue: Pabellón Siroko Sa Pedrera, Sant Antoni de Portmany

Competition: Trofeu AON Illes Balears

Class Sant Antoni: Segunda FEB

Fibwi Mallorca Bàsquet Palma: Primera FEB

Class Sant Antoni coach: Boris Balibrea

Fibwi Mallorca coach: Álex Formento

Class Sant Antoni confirmed absence: Kai Johnson

Purpose: First preseason test for both teams and opening match of the Trofeu AON Illes Balears

A first test for a completely new Sant Antoni project

Sunday's game will give Ibiza basketball supporters their first chance to see the new Class Sant Antoni team in action.

With Boris Balibrea at the helm and numerous new players arriving during the summer, the club is beginning another attempt to challenge at the top end of Segunda FEB.

The opponent will provide a substantial test. Fibwi Mallorca competes in Primera FEB and is itself preparing for a new season under Álex Formento.

Neither team is expected to be fully formed yet, but that is precisely what makes the match useful.

For Sant Antoni, the evening will offer an early test of its new identity, while for Fibwi Mallorca it will be the first opportunity to turn its new roster into a functioning team.

The scoreboard will matter less than the first signs of what these two Balearic projects could become when the competitive season finally begins.

Key Facts

Match: Class Bàsquet Sant Antoni vs Fibwi Mallorca Bàsquet Palma

Date: September 6, 2026

Kick-off: 19:00

Venue: Siroko Sa Pedrera Pavilion, Sant Antoni

Competition: Trofeu AON Illes Balears

Class Sant Antoni division: Segunda FEB

Fibwi Mallorca division: Primera FEB

Class Sant Antoni head coach: Boris Balibrea

Fibwi Mallorca head coach: Álex Formento

Class Sant Antoni squad: Significantly renewed for 2026-2027

Fibwi Mallorca squad: Significantly renewed for 2026-2027

Known Class Sant Antoni absence: Kai Johnson

Trofeu AON format: Round robin featuring Balearic teams competing in FEB competitions

Regular season proximity: Fibwi Mallorca begins Primera FEB on September 25