Pascual led Barca to the EuroLeague crown in 2010
FC Barcelona reunites with coach Xavi Pascual
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FC Barcelona has found a new bench boss in coach Xavi Pascual. The 53-year-old signed a contract that will tie him to the club until the end of the 2027-28 season.
He will join the team next Monday, November 17, after the team has played Virtus Bologna in the EuroLeague and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Spanish League on Friday and Sunday, respectively. For those two games, Oscar Orellana will remain in charge as interim head coach.
Pascual spent the past five seasons with Zenit St. Petersburg, which he led to the VTB United League championship in 2022, the Russian Cup in 2024 and the EuroLeague Playoffs in 2021. Zenit lost that series 3-2 to Barcelona.
Before joining Zenit, Pascual coached Panathinaikos Athens and guided the Greens to Greek League championships in 2017 and 2018. He also lifted the Greek Cup in 2017 and took Panathinaikos to the EuroLeague Playoffs in 2017 and 2018.
In his first spell at Barcelona, Pascual was there for over a decade. He coached the second team, became the senior team's assistant coach and eventually was promoted to the role of head coach in 2008.
He led Barca to five Final Four appearances between 2009 and 2014 and captured the EuroLeague trophy in 2010. By doing so, he became the first Spanish coach in 30 years to win the EuroLeague and was named the 2009-10 Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year.
Pascual helped Barca lift four Spanish League championships and three Spanish Copa del Rey titles. He also coached Gava, Santfeliuenc, Olesa and Aracena in Spain.
Pascual has a 67.7% winning record in the EuroLeague, leading Barcelona, Panathinaikos and Zenit to 241 wins in 356 games. He is tied with Dimitris Itoudis for the fastest coach to reach 100 EuroLeague wins – both did do in 124 games. Pascual now starts his second stint at Barca after replacing Joan Penarroya.