A worthy opponent for the swansong
Still, there are two more games in Pascual’s tenure as Barça coach and those will be the toughest ones this season.
Pascual knows a thing or two about HBC Nantes, Barça’s opponents in the semi-final. The sides met twice this season, with Barça winning both games, 30:29 at home and 35:27 in France, yet Nantes are still the ones to watch — the true underdogs of the EHF FINAL4.
Eliminating Lomza Vive Kielce and Telekom Veszprém HC in the last two rounds is surely an achievement worthy of a title contender and Nantes have one ace up their sleeve: coach Alberto Entrerrios.
Entrerrios played for Barça for one season, in 2001/02, before moving to rivals Ciudad Real, and is the brother of Barça’s captain.
“We have learnt a lot over the past editions of the EHF FINAL4. We learnt from the wins; we learnt from the losses. You must never think that a game is won until the final whistle.
“This is why we will focus hard on this game. I know there are no favourites in such a game — we learnt this the hard way — so Nantes are not a team to be treated easily,” concludes Pascual.
While the Spanish ace might not tie Talant Dujshebaev’s record of four EHF Champions League Men wins — three with Ciudad Real and one with Lomza Vive Kielce — Pascual can still become only the second coach to win three trophies with the same team.
The records do not motivate him, only winning does. But win or lose in Cologne, Pascual’s legacy will be untarnished and his importance never understated at Barça.
But a motivated and focused Pascual found the best moment for a tongue-in-cheek remark, just before going to the daily training session at Barça — one of his last in his capacity:
“Man, if you win the trophy by winning all games, what more can you say?”
Indeed, it would be the once-in-a-lifetime perfect season.