Svetislav Pesic on upcoming qualifiers window: 'Great Britain is better than Serbia' / News - Basketnews.com

Svetislav Pesic believes Great Britain is a better team than Serbia before the upcoming FIBA World Cup European qualifiers window.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Before the upcoming FIBA World Cup Qualifiers window, Serbian national team head coach Svetislav Pesic talked about his experience after EuroBasket and Serbian basketball present, which according to the 73-year-old, is not so bright.

Pesic admitted that he didn't receive any attention after Serbia was eliminated in the Round of 16.

"European Championship ended over a month ago, but no one has called me," Pesic said in the Top Gol show. "Not a single journalist. No one. Absolutely no one."

He also couldn't confirm whether he'll continue head coach duties.

"New representative duties will follow very soon. Do I stay or not? I do not know. No one called or contacted me," said Pesic.

He also shared the idea that Serbia is not as strong a basketball country as it used to be, claiming that even Great Britain is currently a better team.

"As far as I know, almost no one from the national team that played in the European Championship [will play in qualifiers]. Many looked at me strangely when I said that Belgium is better than us.

It was the same when I said that about Latvia.Now comes the game against Great Britain, which is objectively better than us, because it is a huge question as to what team we will have.

We all need to calm down.The days when everyone took off their pants in the name of Serbia are gone. That's not the case anymore," Pesic said.

Credit FIBA

He also reacted to criticism for deciding not to bring Milos Teodosic to the EuroBasket. Pesic reaffirms that all the talks didn't affect him.

"I know where the attacks on me came from, and that's why it didn't affect me. The coach's job is to make decisions and bear responsibility for those decisions," Pesic argued. "Teodosic was not removed due to discipline or indiscipline. I explained everything nicely to Teodosic and the public."

"Teodosic was and still is responsible for all the success of the national team. As a coach, I made the decision for the team to go in a different direction.

Insults from the media and certain colleagues do not touch me because what would life be like without enemies? I don't want to deal with them. I have been a coach for forty years.

Therefore, stories about me being demented and old really do not interest me. The only thing I'm interested in is whether my colleagues are watching those games. As for the media, that doesn't affect me either because many are not educated enough to explain a victory, let alone a defeat.

The fact that many coaches do not have jobs in Serbia is not my fault. I wrote my book, and I didn't come to take anything from anyone, I came to help. I took over the national team because I felt it was an obligation," Pesic concluded.

With a 3-3 record, Serbia is in 4th place in the FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers Group I. The first four teams will clinch the ticket to the tournament that will take place next year.

In the upcoming window on November 11 and 14, Serbia will face Great Britain and Turkey, respectively.

Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.