Xavi Pascual with the Liga Asobal trophy

Xavi Pascual with the Liga Asobal trophy barcelona - Arabstoday   FC Barcelona’s 19th Liga title holds special meaning for Xavi Pascual. With the victory this Saturday at the Palau Blaugrana over BM Torrevieja, the Catalan manager is now the seventh coach to win two or more Liga titles in a row. Furthermore, Pascual is the second manager to lead his team to back-to-back titles since Valero Rivera. The seventh manager Xavi Pascual has broken into the club of managers that have led their teams to two or more consecutive Liga titles, and he’s the seventh manager to do it since the Handball League was established in 1958. Six historic handball managers accompany Pascual in this select group of coaches. The first manager to do it was Josep Vilà with BM Granollers when the Hanball League was first established. Miqule Roca, also with BM Granollers, and Domingo Bárcenas, with Atlético Madrid, followed Vilà’s lead as they managed their teams to multiple Liga titles. The last manager to win two or more consecutive Liga titles before the Asobal League was established in the 90s was Juan de Dios Román, current president of the RFEBM, when he managed Atlético Madrid. Since the creation of the Asobal League, Xavi Pascual is the third manager to win two or more consecutive Liga titles. The first manager to do it was the Azulgrana Valero Rivera, with Barça’s historic Dream Team. In the 22 editions of the Asobal, FC Barcelona have won 11 titles. The current BM Atlético Madrid manager, Talant Dujshebaev, followed Rivera’s lead when he managed BM Ciudad Real to multiple Liga titles.