2024-08-06 19:55

In the first week of preparation, we spoke with our head coach. We were curious about his opinion on the strength of the hungarian championship, the roles within the team, the pressure associated with his job, and of course, we wanted to get to know him as a person. Meet Xavier Pascual; here is the interview with him.

You started as a goalkeeper and then a goalkeeper coach in Barcelona. Was it an instinct, an intuition that you would become a head coach, or did life simply lead you down this path?

I started as a goalkeeping coach in Barcelona, but actually, from the beginning, I was also a coach for the youth teams. I always felt this kind of ambition, dedication towards coaching within me, but I didn't know where it would lead. The truth is, I love this job; I love coaching, whether it's young or adult teams, it doesn't really matter.

As the head coach of the opponent, you experienced many great battles here in Veszprém. Let's think first of all about Barcelona, but you also visited the Veszprém Arena with Dinamo Bucuresti twice. How did you see Veszprém, the club, the team back then?

Well, when we talk about handball, there are always 4-5 club teams that define the sport, and Veszprém is definitely one of them. When I came here with my teams, all the matches were fantastic, both for us and Veszprém. We were always greeted with an amazing atmosphere, and that's what I desire during my time here as well. I want to see this special connection between the fans and the team; it's very important to me.

Of course, this is not easy because we have to bring our vision to the field and enforce our will. However, my main goal is to make the fans happy and satisfied with the team's performance because we play and work for them.

These are just words and ideas for now, but we'll see. I know that Veszprém fans are very loud and can put a lot of pressure on the opponent, which is fantastic and necessary for victory, but unfortunately, it's not enough by itself.

What do you think about pressure? In your profession, it's inevitable, and perhaps without it, there is no success. How do you use and turn the pressure to your advantage in your work?

I think that as a head coach, the most important thing is to be treated with patience so you can do your job calmly. But for me, handball is my life; I live and breathe it every day, whether it's training, a match, or preparation... it doesn't matter.

I know that everyone wants to win. That's sport. Obviously, the opponent's coach and the other team want the same. Look at the Olympics; who would have thought that the French team wouldn't be in a position to advance at home with one game left in the group stage? No one. What happened? Nothing, that's sport.

A lot happens during a season. Injuries, suspensions, or other problems. Moments when the team performs better or worse. However, the most important thing for a coach is to find and develop their own game and trust in themselves and their team. That's what I do; I always think about what I can achieve with my team, constantly developing our game and doing my job.

Last season, László Nagy called you to become Veszprém's coach... what did you think at that moment? What were your first reactions?

When Laci called, I told him that I was open to negotiations, but I always try to be respectful to everyone, so the first thing was to handle my situation correctly. There was a big chance I would come, but also a chance I would stay at the club where I spent three years. They did a lot for me in Bucharest during that time, so I wanted to be fair to everyone. Laci understood this, and we were able to settle things in a correct way. I told my players there that I would likely go to Veszprém, but I wanted to help them continue on the path we started. It was a great moment when everything was fixed, and I felt great pride in becoming the head coach of one of the best clubs in the world.

What do you think about the Hungarian championship and Hungarian handball? Is the championship strong enough to be a good foundation for international challenges?

This is a very interesting question and comes up in most countries, like in Romania and Spain. Every country is the same in this regard. Maybe only the Bundesliga and the French league are a step ahead of the others, but not every team there either. The question is whether it's possible to play top-level matches every three days against top teams so that the team arrives at the end of the season in good condition; motivated, healthy, etc.

I think we never arrive unprepared for the next match; we always scout the opponent 100%. Only the preseason is different for me because there we focus more on our own game and what we've practiced in training rather than the opponent. It doesn't matter who we play against or what the result is... but of course, this changes for the first official match. That's my philosophy on this matter.

Handball experts talk a lot about this... Barca is a real top team, yet the Spanish league hasn't been the strongest for a while, while Bundesliga teams play almost every other day against top teams... what do you think is the relation between a strong league and successful Champions League participation?

Maybe I'm not wrong if I say that everyone is concerned with what other teams are doing, but not with what they should be doing themselves. Everything is about what's happening elsewhere, what we can do the same, or what we don't have, or who we should sign.

For example, we think that Barca goes into every Champions League match rested and prepared because their league is easier. German teams, on the other hand, are tired because they play against top teams in every match, so they are kept "in the fire."

This is very interesting because if you lose, this topic always comes up; if you win, it doesn't matter how strong the league is.

I think the Hungarian league is very good and strong. Besides Veszprém, there is another top team, Szeged, and then there are Tatabánya, Ferencváros, Csurgó. Wins are not given for free. If you play for a top team, sometimes this can be a problem because everyone thinks we win the matches even before the whistle blows.

Last season, the media talked about Veszprém having one of the best squads, but then in the Final4, we saw teams with great shooting power, all having 2-3 players who can score from 10-11 meters as if it were a simple penalty shot... How can we improve in all elements of the game?

I think we have great players. We just need to find the way to leverage the strengths of our current squad. We have powerful shooters who are dangerous from 11 meters, players who can effectively pass to the pivot, we have Nedim, Agus, Luka. We have players for one against ones... We have everything, different types of players who can contribute to the game depending on the situation and the opponent. Sometimes this player is the key, other times another can help. This is the best team in the world for me because it is mine.

What do you think about individual player development and building their confidence? Perhaps we fell short in this regard last season.

The first and most important thing I want to emphasize for everyone is that this is a team sport, and everyone has a role. Some are shooters, some play the ball to the pivot, some organize our attack, some are one against one players, some lead the defense... etc. But this doesn't depend on individual skills; individual skills are for the team. Let's just say we will handle every situation.

Who is Xavier Pascual outside of handball? Do you have any hobbies? How do you relax? Or is everything in your life about handball?

My life is handball; there's no question about that. But of course, I also need free time and relaxation, which for me means being at home with my wife and family. This is the most important; I sometimes need a break because the competitive spirit rages within me; I want to win everything, every match. I want 100% even in a simple training session, but sometimes this is not possible.

When you get home, you need someone who pays attention to you, perhaps calms you down a bit, and makes the next day easier with their help. Tomorrow is a new day, as they say... Balance is important to me. I love handball; it's my passion, my job, I work on it and think about it every single day, every minute of the day. If I have time, I like to visit matches too, whether adult or youth, it doesn't matter. For me, handball is not a job, it's a passion.

What is the greatest success for you?

The greatest success for me... if I'm happy. That's the most important thing, happiness. I have a great life and many friends, and that makes me happy; that's the most important, and of course, health.

#RedUnited #HandballCity #StrongerTogether

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