By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
After spending a decade and winning a Euroleague title as the head coach of FC Barcelona, Xavi Pascual returned to the city as the coach of Panathinaikos.
The former Barca coach held a press conference for the Spanish media in which he talked about his past and his present, his new experience in the Greek club: “I’m in a new team, it’s a completely new situation for me. Until now you were the journalists covering my tean and now you are my “opponents”. This is normal. I am very happy in Athens, everyone in the club have welcomed me the best way. I am very comfortable and I have the feeling that everything is goint to be well, although I am just 40 days in the city. Barcelona is a part of my history, but my present is Panathinaikos“.
Speaking about the similarities between the two clubs, Pascual added: “Panathinaikos is a club that has many similarities to Barcelona, they share the same DNA. It is club “born” to win. Panathinaikos has a great past. For many years the club was at the top. They also have common ideas with Barcelona when I was the coach of the team. When you lose it’s a huge disaster and when you win everything is fantastic. There are many similarities, many more than those expected. Panathinaikos has too many people working for the club, with intensity and passion to do the best they can for their team. Even the characteristics of some players that I have now in Panathinaikos are common to those of most players I had in my first season in Barcelona. But I must say that it is a completely different roster than what I had in my hands the last year that I was here”.
For tonight’s game he added: “It will be a very special evening for me. It is notable that I return as a rival to Palau Blaugrana. Definitely it will be a unique moment. But I come here to win as the coach of Panathinaikos. I have huge motivation as always. Like always in my career. Barcelona is in good hands with Bartzokas. It is still the beginning of the season and we can not say much and draw conclusions. The truth is that Barcelona fans have no patience”.
He also spoke about the differences between Liga Endesa and the Greek ESAKE league: “The games in the Greek league, compared to the ACB, are completely different. There is quality in basketball, but I think there is a greater intensity in Greece. Intensity at a higher level than in the games of the ACB. I have enormous respect for Panathinaikos, for Zeljko Obradovic and everything he has achieved. But the truth is that the big clubs such as Panathinaikos do not live in the past and what has been achieved. Looking ahead, looking to the future and continue to write history. This is the challenge I have before me, it’s too big and I want to handle it directly”.