By Nikos Varlas / varlas@eurohoops.net
Sarunas Jasikevicius has a already a deal in place and he will be the new coach of Barcelona with a 2+1 contract. The Lithuanian legend will be the heir of Xavi Pascual who is leaving the team after 8 seasons on the bench.
Jasikevicius became a head coach on the 9th of January 2016, after being promoted from assistant coach in Zalgiris Kaunas since 2014 under coach Gintaras Krapikas.
In no time, Saras proved that after an illustrious career as a point guard, he is ready to lead a team as the head coach and Barcelona decided that he will be their next coach, according to Eurohoops sources.
Not only the loss of the championship title, but also the whole season of Barcelona led the board of Barcelona to the decision that it was time for a change. Pascual served Barcelona in total for 12 seasons not only as the head coach, but also as an assistant and also as the coach of the club’s B-team.
The personality and pedigree of Jasikevicius played a great role in the decision and the talks have started before the end of the season. The fact that Saras was a member of Barcelona for four seasons (2000-03, 2012-13) and also part of the roster that won the first Euroleague title of the club made him one of the perennial fan favorites.