By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Barcelona announced that the club and coach Xavi Pascual have reached an agreement in principle in order to extend his contract until the end of the 2016-17. The current contract of Pascual expires in the 30th of June of 2015.
Pascual is the head coach of the first team since 14 of February 2008 and the announcement about his extension coincides with his 500th official game on the bench of Barca, which will be played in Athens against Panathinaikos. The signing of the new contract is expected in the next days.
Xavi Pascual came to FC Barcelona in 2004 to work as second team coach and director of the youth system. In 2005, he became first team assistant coach under Dusko Ivanovic, and when Ivanovic was sacked in February 2008, he became head coach. The following season (2008-09) he became the youngest coach ever to win the ACB League.
The year after that he also became the youngest coach to win the Euroleague, also winning the Spanish Cup, Catalan League and ACB Super Cup. He has gone to enjoy plenty more success in the form of 16 major trophies in just six years (1 Euroleague, 4 ACB Leagues, 3 Spanish Cup, 3 ACB Super Cups and 5 Catalan League). He has won the ACB Coach of the Year award three times, and in 2009-10 was named Best Coach in the Euroleague.