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The new Barça de Sekulic bets on speed, physicality and youth
The new coach of Barça basketball is opting for a more intense and dynamic style of play. He aims to restore the club's prominence in the Liga Endesa and the EuroLeague. The squad is getting younger and faces a key adaptation process.
Sekulic's arrival marks a change of cycle after the departure of Xavi Pascual, who ended his second spell as Barça coach in July. The new man in charge will also be the first Slovenian coach in the history of the basketball section.
The project is betting on a renewed squad with greater room for growth. Confirmed arrivals include players such as Olek Balcerowski, Tyrese Martin and Tosan Evbuomwan, profiles that bring youth, physicality and versatility to different positions.
Some of the new signings do not yet have extensive EuroLeague experience. For that reason, the coaching staff assumes the team will need time to automate movements, understand the new roles and respond consistently in a particularly demanding competition.
Sekulic's idea is to raise the tempo, defend aggressively and attack before opposing defences can organise themselves. The coach wants a group capable of running, pressing and sustaining its energy during matches in which the European calendar offers hardly any rest.
The renewal also extends to the sporting structure. Xevi Pujol has taken charge of the section for the next three seasons, with the challenge of coordinating a rebuilt squad and restoring stability to a project that has undergone numerous changes.
The demands will be immediate. The EuroLeague calendar will once again bring Barça together with the continent's leading teams, while in Liga Endesa it will have to deliver from the opening rounds against ever greater competition.
At Palau Blaugrana, attention will focus on both results and the evolution of the play. The new season will show whether the combination of youth, speed and energy can restore the consistency and prominence demanded by the fans.