Zeljko Obradovic: 'EuroLeague needs a team like Partizan' / News - Basketnews.com

Zeljko Obradovic was proud of his team and its fans, and thinks that Partizan should get a permanent spot in the EuroLeague.

Credit: Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic Credit Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade controlled Game 5 against Real Madrid through almost three quarters but didn't manage to get the crucial win. Nevertheless, Partizan's head coach Zeljko Obradovic was proud of his team after the game.

Player of the Game EFF 26 Sergio Rodriguez Points 19 Accuracy 8-11 Rebounds 3 Assists 6

"It was the third match in a row where a rebound, a field goal, or a defensive possession determined the outcome of the game. I'm proud of my team that we've managed to come back to the EuroLeague after an 8-year break and had the season that we had," he said during the post-game press conference. "I have a feeling that we could've advanced past this stage but it's already in the past and I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Partizan were known for their supporters both during the regular season and during the playoffs not only on their home court but also in away games. Obradovic was thankful for the support the club received throughout the entire year.

"I'd like to thank our supporters. We've had impressive support throughout the entire season. We had people from different cities in Europe visit the game. We had people who came all the way from Malta to watch Partizan play. I'm very proud of that," the coach said.

"I hope that we'll play in the EuroLeague next year. We'll start preparing for the ABA League soon. As I've mentioned before, it's a very important tournament for us."

Partizan played in the 2022-23 EuroLeague season as a wild card recipient. After talking about the game, Zeljko diverted to the thought that the Serbian club should be a permanent competitor in the tournament.

"I'm very proud of our team, our management, and everything Partizan did this year -the number of people that talk about this club, the number of people that come to see our games from different cities from all over Europe. This EuroLeague needs Partizan, this EuroLeague needs a club like Partizan," the legendary specialist said.

"I'm not talking about only one year, it's a serious project. You can ask other clubs whether they like to come to Belgrade. People talked that something might happen [to Real Madrid] before Games 3 and 4, and what happened?" he rhetorically asked.

"It was a normal environment. More than normal."

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