Slovenian basketball strategist Aleksander Sekulić has been appointed as the new head coach of FC Barcelona, marking a meteoric rise for the 48 year old who just weeks earlier led Dubai Basketball to the ABA League championship. The deal, reported as finalized by multiple sources, sees Sekulić leap from regional competition to one of Europe’s most storied clubs, beating out candidates including Paolo Galbijati and Janis Sferopoulos for the prestigious position. For Barcelona, the appointment represents a bold gamble on a coach with limited EuroLeague head coaching experience but a proven track record of maximizing underdog rosters.
Sekulić’s appointment follows a whirlwind few months. He took over Dubai Basketball on April 13, 2026, after Jurica Golemac was fired for failing to reach the EuroLeague play in phase. Under Sekulić’s guidance, Dubai not only reached the ABA League playoffs but went on to win the regional competition, a remarkable turnaround that caught the attention of Europe’s elite clubs. The Slovenian has built his reputation through nearly three decades of coaching across multiple leagues and countries. He began his career at Geoplin Slovan in Ljubljana, later moving through clubs including Triglav Kranj, Koper, Krka, where he won the Slovenian championship, Sixt Primorska, ERA Nymburk in the Czech Republic, and Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia. Most recently, he coached Zenit Saint Petersburg before taking the Dubai job. Since 2020, he has also served as head coach of the Slovenian national team, a role he has held for six years.
The Barcelona position represents both opportunity and pressure. The Catalan club is one of the most successful in European basketball history, with multiple EuroLeague titles and a demanding fanbase that expects excellence. Sekulić inherits a roster featuring international stars and competes in both the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague, where Barcelona has consistently aimed for the Final Four. His challenge will be to translate the tactical flexibility and motivational skills that won him the ABA League into success at the highest continental level. The appointment also highlights Slovenia’s growing influence in European basketball coaching, Sekulić joins a select group of his countrymen leading major clubs, continuing a tradition that includes Igor Kokoškov, under whom Sekulić served as assistant when Slovenia won the 2017 EuroBasket title. Whether Sekulić can replicate that championship magic in Barcelona remains to be seen, but his rapid ascent from Dubai to the Palau Blaugrana is already one of the most intriguing coaching stories of the European offseason.
