Xavi Pascual and Barça will have no time to prepare for the play-in against Crvena Zvezda: “It’s madness”

By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net

Barça secured a resounding victory against Bayern Munich, allowing them to confidently advance towards the play-in tournament, where they will face Red Star Belgrade. Beyond the result, the match brought particularly positive news for the Blaugrana: the return of Tomas Satoransky, a key player in the team’s system.

Xavi Pascual didn’t hide his satisfaction at having one of his pillars back: “Tomas is an extremely important player for us; he allows us to maintain the balance between attack and defense. He organizes the team very well. We’ve missed him a lot; the team was improving, and when we lost him in Kaunas, we were stuck. With him back today, we were much better. I’m very happy he’s back and that it was just a scare.”

With his sights already set on the tie against the Serbian team, Pascual anticipated a demanding match, with no room for complacency despite the favorable precedents: “The tie will be very tough. We’ve beaten them twice, but they’ve been very difficult. They’re one of the most physical teams in the competition and they also have a lot of talent. First, we play Hiopos Lleida on Sunday morning, 36 hours later. It will be a difficult game; let’s hope nothing goes wrong and that we’re ready for Tuesday’s match.”

The coach also praised Fall’s performance, who was decisive in the game against Bayern with 14 points and 12 rebounds: “Fall is a very specific player, and when the team is playing well, he always helps us. That was the case today; he played exceptionally well. I’m very happy for him. He’s always there; he’s never let us down. There are games where the opponent plays an open game, and he always struggles more, but today he was sensational.”

Beyond analyzing the game, Pascual wanted to highlight the difficulty of the EuroLeague schedule and competition format, especially for Spanish teams: “Maintaining the same EuroLeague format next year is particularly tough for Liga Endesa teams. It’s extremely demanding, incredibly difficult. I was surprised; I thought there would be a format change, I was convinced it would be different. For Liga Endesa teams, it’s madness. Hapoel canceled their weekend game to prepare for their playoff game, which is in 10 days. Imagine the difference with us. This is why it’s so difficult, and you need a deep roster to be able to handle both competitions here. Being competitive in Europe is harder here than in other places. I don’t think we’re the only team that won’t play this weekend; I’m sure there will be more.”

From an institutional perspective, the coach reflected on the need for stability to build winning projects, echoing Svetislav Pesic’s earlier statement: “Without a doubt, all teams ultimately succeed when the coach and the club are aligned and growing in the same direction. You can’t win titles overnight; you have to build solidity over the years. The club has been in flux, losing stability in every sense, and it needs to regain it.”

Finally, Pascual dedicated a few words to the legendary Serbian coach after his farewell to European basketball: “Before the game, I was able to speak with Pesic; we’ve always had a very good relationship. Today, one of the greats of our club and one of those coaches who has done so much for European basketball, with a unique style that has significantly influenced the game played in Europe, is leaving Europe. Many years at the forefront. It’s a day to be grateful for everything he has given us all.”