The Euroleague is a jungle that must survive. On the track and on the benches. The major European basketball competition has not yet reached the equator of the regular phase and six clubs have changed coaching positions. The extension of this course to 20 teams has multiplied the hardness of an exhausting program, without even having time to train, and the very tough competition with the ball in the game due to the high level of the teams makes defeat become a regular travel companion. The technicians went to speak to the media professor: Ioannis Sfairopoulos left his job to Sasa Obradovic at Red Star; Xavi Pascual replaced Joan Peñarroya at Barcelona, just as Pablo Laso replaced Igor Kokoskov at Anadolu Efes; Ettore Messina moved from the group to Armani Milan Dispatches, now headed by Giuseppe Poeta; the eternal Svetislav Pesic, 76, is back at Bayern Munich to replace Gordon Herbert; and in the last movement, confirmed this month before Nochebuena, Peñarroya returned without resting and inherited the Belgrade Party after the volcanic decline of the legendary Zeljko Obradovic.
The task for the 56-year-old Catalan coach is gigantic due to the size of the man he is replacing. On the field, Obradovic is the champion of the new European Cups, but he remains in history, he is a myth of the Party and a god for an affection who took the airport of Belgrade to pray that he does not parade. Zeljko’s word is carved in stone and when I say it, he can’t go back. The coach has a job that the players can’t keep up with and the lack of work ethic is consistent with his way of understanding basketball and life. He summed it up after a defeat against Asvel: “The players were not focused in the party. When they entered the locker room before the match, they were all on their cell phones.”
Peñarroya now enters the volcano. The passion took place with players, especially all Americans, like the ex-barcelonista Jabari Parker, the greatest record of this season, to those who accuse him of little commitment and of being the culprits of Obradovic’s resignation. The club appointed Zarko Paspalj sporting director after Zoran Savic’s walk. The last Euroleague defeats, with interim Mirko Ocokoljic in the team, were embarrassing: 68-86 against Virtus and 109-68 against Zalgiris (six matches won and 11 lost). And to try to change the trend, the team hired Cameron Payne, 31, from the American base and who played the preseason with the Indiana Pacers.
The Party offered the role of coach to Josep Maria Izquierdo, Obradovic’s loyal assistant, but he decided to walk with the maestro and the chosen one was Peñarroya. This will be your first experience abroad after training at ACB in Andorra, Manresa, Burgos, Valencia, Baskonia and Barcelona. From these final stages you can prepare for poor results: in October 2023, the Victorian team started last November in Palau after seven wins and eight losses between domestic and European competitions. From now on, he participates in the adventures of Partizan, with whom he will make his debut this season at home before Maccabi. You know that a Euroleague rescue awaits you.
Euroleague results and standings.
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