By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
After parting ways with Roger Grimau, Barcelona has officially shut down the saga regarding its new head coach, announcing Joan Peñarroya to sit on the team’s bench for two years, until 2026.
The newest tactical leader of the locker room will have to turn things around in a club that for the first time in ages hasn’t collected any trophy during the 2023-24 season.
They lost to Real Madrid in the Semi-Finals of the ACB Playoffs and of the Spanish Supercup, while also missing out on the Copa del Rey and on the EuroLeague Final Four, losing at home the decisive do-or-die Game 5 against Olympiacos.
According to Mundo Deportivo and confirmed by Eurohoops sources, Xavi Pascual was Barcelona’s first option but the club couldn’t cover his salary, as he’s currently earning two million euros per season in Zenit Saint Petersburg.
Joan Peñarroya began last season in charge in Baskonia, where he previously moved in the summer of 2022, being replaced by Dusko Ivanovic. In the 2021-22 season, he coached Valencia, losing to then-champions Virtus Bologna in the EuroCup Semi-Finals.
The 55-year-old Catalan side will coach for the first time the powerhouse of the region after already leading BAXI Manresa in the 2018-19 season. He then went on to win twice the Basketball Champions League with San Pablo Burgos, before heading to the EuroCup and EuroLeague.
𝐉𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐧̃𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐚, 𝐧𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚 💙❤ pic.twitter.com/i4vVcRxxeV
— Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) June 14, 2024
PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague