The Zenit coach, Xavi Pascual, has decided to stay at the Russian club until the end of his contractas reported this Friday to EFE in Russian basketball circles. Although the Catalan seemed determined to leave the club, he finally opted to remain in Russia and fulfill his contract year with Zenit despite the fact that initially looked for other options because this club could not play the Euroleague this year due to the war.
The fine that he would have had to pay in the event of breaking his relationship with the club – some 200,000 dollars – was perfectly acceptable for the Gavá coach. According to the source, several clubs were interested in Pascual’s services, but with lower financial offers than the Russian contract. During the last months, his name was linked to both Real Madrid, before Chus Mateo won the Euroleague, cLike Barcelona, where it also seemed like the main alternative to a Sarunas Jasikevicius who now has many ballots to continue the Barça club.
Paschal thus plans to fulfill the remaining year of the contract with the Russian club and next year decide whether to continue with Zenit or return to a Euroleague team. For three and a half years at Zenit, qualified the team for the eight best in Europe in his first full seasonand in the second he achieved the first Russian league title in the club’s history.
Pascual coached the Barcelona team between 2008 and 2016, stage in which he won the Euroleague in 2010after which he joined Panathinaikos and Zenit, with whom he won the Greek and Russian league, respectively.