Xavi Pascual, Regal FC Barcelona
|
After waiting through seven Final Four appearances before lifting a Euroleague trophy, Regal FC Barcelona knows about the value of patience. So does Xavi Pascual, the team's rookie head coach. Largely unknown a year ago, Pascual has guided Barcelona with resolve and ingenuity to a shot at its second continental crown. Pascual spent 18 seasons working up through the ranks of Spain's lower divisions until getting a seat on Barcelona's bench as a assistant four years ago. Now in his first complete season as head coach, Pascual enters the 2009 Final Four already having proven plenty by leading Barcelona to the best record in the Euroleague so far. If his season gets any better in Berlin, where Pascual can become a continental champ sooner than all but a few coaches in European history, his days of anonymity will be officially over.
How does it feel to make the Final Four in your first full season as a first-division head coach?
"So far I am happy, knowing that I have to work every day and that reaching the Final Four is just another step forwards. We are all looking forward to stepping on court in Berlin, but to reach the next level, we must beat CSKA and make it to the final."
What do you think about joining modern coaching greats like Ettore Messina, Zeljko Obradovic and Panagiotis Giannakis in Berlin?
"When someone decides that you are able to coach a great team like Barcelona, it is because you are considered to be at that level. If not, nobody would do that. On the other hand, I try not to focus on that, but on my team only. We have to keep growing as a team and I don't really pay attention to much else."
You were an assistant coach when Barcelona went to the 2006 Final Four in Prague. What lessons did you learn there that might help you in Berlin?
"It is tough, because that game was long ago. The Final Four has always had very open games in which anything can happen. Knowing this, we will try to come to Berlin as confident as we can. We have to prepare well for the game against CSKA, knowing that we have to be mentally strong to face anything that can happen on court in a game like this. Sometimes you can have a slow start and lose your chances early without the right mentality. At the same time, you can have a strong start, but see your opponent get back in the game. You cannot lose because you haven't been strong enough. You have to be confident and know that you are doing the right thing, look forward and be conditioned for anything happening during the game."
Barça's long road to Berlin started with the Euroleague Basketball American Tour '08 in Los Angeles last October. How did that experience help prepare your team for the Euroleague?
"Well, it was a very good experience. We were excited about the chance to play in Los Angeles and it came after we had already started our domestic competition. It was a good way to end the preseason. Our team felt stronger once it saw it could compete against NBA squads. It was very positive, because then we flew straight to Nancy to play our first Euroleague game and did very well. We were a bit afraid of jet lag and being tired, but truth be told, everything went well."
There were many highlights during the season for Barcelona. At what point did you realize that this team was good enough to challenge for the Euroleague championship?
"We knew we had our chances from the very beginning of the season, because of our potential. We knew we had to work hard to be better than the previous day and that is what we did. We had a very strong season, even though some people say we had ups and downs. I think there was a moment when we had injuries and were left with just one point guard, and that is when we struggled a bit. That was when we lost against Montepaschi in Siena, a place where you can always lose, and we had a Spanish League home defeat. Even with that, and in general terms, we have been growing as a team, finding the right way."
It’s been a true breakout season for a number of Barcelona’s rising stars, like Ersan Ilyasova, Fran Vazquez and Victor Sada. How do you prepare young players like them for the atmosphere at the Final Four?
"It is true, we have to work hard with them because it is a new situation for them. They have also experienced new situations as protagonists this season and have been able to take a quality jump. The difference is that a Final Four doesn't offer a second chance. You have to focus in one game and try to play well right away because there is no chance to make up for your mistakes. We all have to be ready at an event like this."
Barcelona was down twice to Tau Ceramica in the Quarterfinal Playoffs and won two do-or-die games. How can that experience help the team in Berlin?
"Of course, the team comes out stronger after this series. We had to work hard because it was really tough to lose Game 1 at home. We had been looking forward to the series because we worked hard to get the home-court advantage, so losing Game 1 hurt us a lot. We were able to bounce back right away and change our mentality for the road games. We were also able to recover after losing Game 3. Therefore, this series should give us extra confidence because we know we are on the right path."
In the semifinals you will face the reigning champion, CSKA Moscow. What must be done to prepare to beat CSKA and coach Ettore Messina?
"To begin with, first and foremost, CSKA is a great team, added to the fact that they are used to winning. That gives them a special confidence in highly important games. CSKA is used to fighting for the title every season. I respect coach Messina a lot. He is a great coach, but we must prepare our game plan without thinking too much about who is sitting on the other bench. We have to respect CSKA and work well to compete against them, find a way to beat them, just like we did with all the great teams and great coaches we have faced in the Euroleague and in our domestic competition so far this season."
How much of an advantage is it for Barcelona to have the experienced David Andersen, who spent the last four seasons at CSKA, on your side for this game?
"He is a very important player for us, as he has been showing all season. We hope that he keeps showing that in such an important event for us as the Final Four is. He has a lot of experience and that is always good not only for what he can offer, but also to give extra confidence to the rest of the team."
What would a second Euroleague title mean now to Barcelona and its fans?
"I believe that the Euroleague title has always been the ultimate goal for all Barcelona fans, for all of us. We only have one Euroleague title despite our great run in European basketball throughout the years. So far we only have that single trophy in our roll of honors, but we aim to bring the second one home."
|
|
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Frank Lawlor, Euroleague.net
|