This Monday began the second era of Xavi Pascual after signing the contract as the new basketball coach of Barcelona until 2028. The Gavà coach, accompanied by Joan Laporta, returns to what was his home nine years ago, when in his 580 games at the head of the bench he won 19 titles, including the second and last Euroleague of the group. “It was a beautiful day. I recovered the emotion of the journey from home to the Palau Blaugrana,” Pascual recalled. “When we decided to change coach, there was only one name on the table,” said Juan Carlos Navarro, the section’s sporting director. This Monday Pascual has already led the team and will make his debut on the pitch twice this week: next Thursday against Anadolu EFES and Sunday in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In recent days, after the dismissal of Joan Peñarroya, Óscar Orellana, interim coach, has achieved three victories with the team.
“The season has started and, little by little, we have to lead the team towards the path we want, which is to make the Barcelona fans happy and reflect the values of the entity,” Pascual confessed to the club’s media on Monday. His wishes go further: “And, if possible, that the team is close to competing for all the titles.” During these almost ten years away from Barcelona he continued to add trophies to his trophy cabinet with Panathinaikos and Zenit. “I’m a coach with more experience. The background of living in different places gives you a lot of things and that helps you try to do things well,” the coach added.
There is still a week left to meet the Barça fans again: it will be Wednesday 26 November against ASVEL Villeurbanne. “The people of Palau are extraordinary, but demanding. Win or lose, we have to give them things. The DNA that we have had for so many years must always be ahead of everything and we must create this seal so that the fan becomes enthusiastic and identifies with the team”, explained Pascual, aware that he must not only win the titles, but also win back the Barça fans.
