Xavi Pascual, 53, returned to Barcelona in November during a critical moment for the project, following the dismissal of Joan Peñarroya. The coach from Gavà, whose comeback had already been rumored within the club after Roger Grimau’s departure, could have waited until the summer to take charge with a renewed project featuring new faces, a more ambitious investment, and a sporting approach closer to his own criteria. However, he accepted the challenge of managing a highly complicated transition for a team that, barring a surprise in the Liga Endesa, is heading toward a third consecutive season without titles—a disaster for a club like Barcelona.
Although it was assumed that the primary goal was next season—to relaunch Barça as a top-tier team in Europe and in the ACB, where they have lost ground not only to Real Madrid but also to projects like Valencia Basket—the reality is harsh. With a relentless calendar, injuries, and eliminations in the Copa (semifinals) and the EuroLeague (play-in), tension has arisen between the front office and the bench. Publicly, Pascual reaffirmed his stance and issued a warning, suggesting that his continuity beyond June was not set in stone. On the surface, the risk of a separation is low, but it seems clear that some promises were not fulfilled, such as securing reinforcements for the decisive stretch of the season if injuries continued to pile up. That is exactly what happened, yet no one arrived.
In this context, Dubai Basketball has entered the scene. Surprisingly, in the final stretch of a notable debut season in the EuroLeague, they dismissed their coach, Jurica Golemac—the 10th coach to fall in a highly demanding and frenetic EuroLeague campaign. Dubai is now searching for a high-profile coach with a strong reputation to lead their new project, aiming to position themselves among the favorites to reach the Final Four (a goal unchanged despite the region’s turbulent political situation). Among their top candidates is Pascual.
The Emirati team, which ultimately missed the play-in and has already confirmed forward Jaron Blossomgame (ending his stint at Monaco) as their first signing for next season, finished their first EuroLeague campaign with Slovenian national team coach Alexander Sekulic at the helm. Sekulic will hold the position until the summer, after which the club will seek a leader for the long term. Initially, Pascual is one of the names on their list. Another is Vassilis Spanoulis, who left Monaco amid the club’s financial crisis after leading them to the final against Fenerbahçe in the last Final Four.
For now, Pascual is not expected to leave Barcelona. He signed a contract until 2028, though it includes a release clause. In most cases, it would be normal for him to wait and lead his own project from scratch in a full season. However, if his dissatisfaction with the board grows, this path toward Dubai BC could gain traction. Pascual has extensive experience outside Spain, having coached Panathinaikos and Zenit between 2016 and 2025.
Barcelona, in any case, appears to be moving to satisfy their coach. The budget will increase, and the names being targeted are, finally, once again top-tier: Moses Wright seems bound for the club, and Josh Nebo is also close to signing. These two are chosen to restore muscle and energy in the paint, something that has been sorely lacking over the past two seasons.
