The heavy defeats in El Clasico and against Basquet Girona will cost the Barcelona coach – Joan Penarroya his job, and Xavi Pascual is the top candidate to replace him.
Joan Penarroya’s time at Barcelona has come to an end. The crushing loss in El Clasico, which ended with fans waving white handkerchiefs toward the Palau Blaugrana VIP box, followed by another collapse in Liga Endesa against Basquet Girona (96–78), were the final straws that sealed his fate. It appears he will not lead the team this Tuesday against Bayern Munich in the first game of a EuroLeague double round.
Claim Now The club’s basketball board, which held an emergency meeting in the corridors of Girona’s Fontajau Arena, decided to part ways with the coach who had been in charge for just over a season. His record during that time: 51 wins and 41 losses, with no titles won and no finals reached. This season, Barcelona stands at 2–4 in Liga Endesa and 5–4 in the EuroLeague.
The possibility of his dismissal had already been discussed recently, but two hard-fought wins against Milano and Partizan temporarily gave him some breathing room. Then came another loss against Murcia at the once-impregnable Palau. The latest two defeats — this Friday against Real Madrid and Sunday in Girona — have now sealed his departure.
𝐉𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐧̃𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐢𝐱𝐚 𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐜̧𝐚 𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐚̀𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐭.
— Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) November 9, 2025
L’entrenador del Barça, Joan Peñarroya, no seguirà al capdavant de la banqueta blaugrana. El Barça vol agrair al tècnic la seva professionalitat i li desitja molts… pic.twitter.com/BhDQygnl5w
This season, Penarroya has failed to get his team to function even minimally on defense. Opponents routinely score over 90 points against a Barca side that often starts games unfocused and disorganized. Furthermore, he has struggled to connect with certain players. Willy Hernangomez, whose defensive lapses have been glaring, does not fit his style, and neither does Youssoupha Fall, whose departure had initially been planned in the summer but was reversed due to a lack of better or cheaper options.
Now, Barcelona must find a new head coach. Their long-time target is Xavi Pascual, who left Zenit Saint Petersburg and is currently without a team. His previous tenure with Barcelona was a glorious one, highlighted by the EuroLeague title in 2010. His return would certainly bring excitement back to the Palau Blaugrana.
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