Dubai Basketball has added four experienced professionals to Xavi Pascual’s coaching staff ahead of the 2026/27 season. Assistant coaches Íñigo Zorzano, Òscar Orellana and Adamantios Panagiotopoulos, together with Strength and Conditioning Coach Alejandro García, join the club and will work alongside the existing staff.

Top-class assistant coaches

Xavi Pascual will arrive in Dubai with three highly experienced assistant coaches.

Íñigo Zorzano, who has worked alongside Pascual for the past two decades, brings extensive experience on both ends of the floor. The pair worked together at Zenit Saint Petersburg (2020–2025), Panathinaikos Athens (2016–2018) and FC Barcelona during both of Pascual’s spells with the club (2009-16; 2025-26).

Òscar Orellana also joins Dubai Basketball after spending more than 20 years at FC Barcelona. He worked alongside Pascual last season and built his coaching career with the Catalan club, collaborating with some of Europe’s top coaches, including Sarunas Jasikevicius, Georgios Bartzokas and Svetislav Pesic.

Adamantios Panagiotopoulos reunites with Pascual after seven seasons working together. The pair spent five years at Zenit Saint Petersburg (2020–2025) and two seasons at Panathinaikos Athens (2016–2018), winning multiple domestic league and cup titles. Panagiotopoulos also brings extensive EuroLeague experience to Dubai Basketball.

Alejandro García joins as Strength and Conditioning Coach

Alejandro García joins Dubai Basketball as Strength and Conditioning Coach after spending the last eight seasons with Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar (2018–2026), having previously worked at Khimki Moscow (2016–2018). Earlier in his career, he was also part of the youth programme at Estudiantes and held strength and conditioning roles with Spanish women’s basketball clubs Ros Casares Valencia and Perfumerías Avenida.

His extensive experience at both the domestic and European levels further strengthens Dubai Basketball’s performance staff ahead of the new season.

-ENDS-

About Dubai Basketball: 

Founded in 2023, Dubai Basketball is a professional basketball club competing in the EuroLeague and the Adriatic Basketball Association (ABA) League in the 2026/27 season. Following a historic 2025/26 campaign, the club enters the new season as the reigning ABA League champion under the leadership of Head Coach Xavi Pascual. Dubai Basketball plays its home games at Coca-Cola Arena.

Dubai Basketball stands as a testament to the power of passion and dedication in shaping the landscape of basketball in the UAE and beyond. Its foundation is built upon a diverse and talented team, consisting of FIBA-certified coaches, former professional players, business experts, and passionate enthusiasts.

Dubai Basketball is committed to catalysing positive social change, where dreams are not just envisioned but realised, talents are not merely found but nurtured, and aspirations are not only lived but fulfilled.

Keep up to date with the latest news on Dubai Basketball by visiting www.dubaibasketball.com or on social media platforms:

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