FC Barcelona is the most successful handball club in the world with the biggest cabinet of trophies, including seven titles in the EHF Champions League since 1993. And also the handball section lives the motto “more than a club”. So it is a great honour to be appointed coach of the handball team. In February 2009, Xavi Pascual became the successor of Manoel Cadenas, who had succeeded on legendary Valero Rivera, who had won 72 titles with FC Barcelona, before leading the Spanish national team to the gold medal at the World Championship on home ground in January 2013.

Xavi Pascual had been player in Rivera’s team, and since he became coach he won the tremendous number of 15 titles in four years. But despite all this silverware, FC Barcelona competes for the first time ever at the IHF Super Globe, currently carried out in Doha, Qatar.

In this interview with www.ihf.info, Xavi Pascual talks about the significance of this tournament, the favourite role and his relationship to Valero Rivera – right after his team had finished the preliminary round with a clean sweep of three victories in three matches. On Thursday 29 August Barca will face Qatari team of El-Jaish in the semi-final.

 

What does the participation at the IHF Super Globe mean for you and your team?

Xavi Pascual: It is an interesting tournament, as it is at the start of the season. So we can improve our team, as it is important to have as many matches as possible in this period. And additionally I hope that we can already qualify for the 2014 edition here in Doha. It is an important trophy to win.

It is also fascinating to face teams from different continents?

Xavi Pascual: Indeed, as you need different ways of understanding handball and of preparation to be successful, when you face teams from Qatar, Brazil or Tunisia, you normally do not compete with.

Is Barcelona the favourite for winning the trophy on Friday?

Xavi Pascual: Regardless the competition, FC Barcelona is always estimated to be the favourite from external side. But this is only on paper, we have to prove the favourite role on court first.

You are the successor of Valero Rivera. What is your opinion that he went to Qatar to coach the hosting team of the 2015 World Championship?

Xavi Pascual: Valero is my close friend, he was my coach and I really learnt a lot from him. I was happy when he went to take the challenge in Qatar. He is a great coach and he will build up a great  team, which is highly important for the development of Qatar handball.

Will Qatar be able to be a similar host for the World Championship as Spain was in January?

Xavi Pascual: What I know is that the Qatari people love handball, the interest in handball and the World Championship is great. So let’s see what they are doing out of it.