Zeljko on the pressure after 31 years of coaching: 'There's maybe even more motivation than ever before' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images Credit Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images

Zeljko Obradovic lost the count of finals he already played in his career. But before Sunday's title game against Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, Partizan's head coach might feel motivated even more than ever before.

2-pointers this season

53%20,0Points made:20,0Accuracy:53,3%Place in standings:8Record max:26Record min:15Most made 2FGs:Nikola KalinicTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

After a narrow win in the Radivoje Korac Cup semifinals over FMP Belgrade 92-89, Obradovic answered BasketNews' question about what the pressure means to him after 30 years of coaching.

"Every final game is a very specific game. It doesn't matter which level you have an opportunity to play the final game, you need to prepare yourself," the coach told in the press conference.

"You're happy because you come to that situation, and you try to do and give everything that you have inside. This is what I ask players to do in every language," he added.

"Pressure? Some kind of pressure exists. Not just in a basketball game, but in life, any one of us feel some kind of pressure. So this is nothing new," Obradovic explained.

"If you ask me personally, I don't know. Somebody needs to really check, but I believe for sure I had more than 50 finals. Maybe close to 60. Maybe more than 60. I don't know, really," Obradovic made some journalists smile. "But it's the same. Motivation is the same. Maybe even more now than ever before."

Obradovic is a nine-time EuroLeague champion and two-time Saporta Cup winner. He also won National championships 16 times (11 with Panathinaikos, 4 with Fenerbahce and 1 with Partizan in the Yugoslav League), celebrated 11 National Cups (7 Greek Cups, 3 Turkish Cups, 1 Yugoslav Cup), and 4 National Super Cups (3 Turkish super cups, Italian super cup).He also won the 1997 EuroBasket and 1998 FIBA World Championship with the National Team. That's already at least 42 finals that Zeljko won.

But this one on Sunday will be special. It's the first Zeljko's final with Partizan since 1993 when he left his first club. And it can't get bigger than playing the fiercest Partizan's rival Crvena Zvezda.

Obradovic added that he expects the winner to be decided in a fair fight, where his team will try to cope with Zvezda's experience and overcome them with a bigger hunger and fighting spirit to win the trophy.

Partizan's head coach also didn't have detailed information on Alen Smailagic's injury. A 21-year-old big hurt his knee three minutes into the game and left the court with the help of Partizan's staff.

According to Obradovic, at halftime, Smailagic said it hurt less than at the moment of the injury.

Radivoje Korac Cup 2022 final is set to start on Sunday at 21:00 CET.

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