By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
A “War of Statements” has started between the presidents of Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and Buducnost VOLI after their teams’ clash in the ABA League Final and it doesn’t seem to be close to the end. The respective Presidents of both clubs lead the way with their, either personal or in the name of the clubs, statements.
Dragan Bokan (Buducnost President) wasn’t pleased with the negative media attention while his club is trying to fulfill all the relegations needed in order to play Turkish Airlines EuroLeague next season and accused Nebojsa Covic (Red Star President) of misusing his position for a personal agenda.
This time around it was Covic’s turn to respond and it was done with an official statement on the club’s website which notes that this is not the President’s personal announcement and that he got the permission from the board.
One sentence in particular, close to the end seemed as a good summary of what was said and it is as follows: “We know we are a great club, just as we know our budget isn’t that much bigger than yours but what we don’t have are revolvers, pressure teams with long and short tubes and brothels where certain referees were first ‘set up’ and then paid up.”
But a lot more was said and in more detail. After summarizing and comparing their basketball expertise and successes, Covic started talking about the main issue, the ABA League Finals and whether it was regular, blaming Bokan and his club for all sorts of illegal activities:
“…So I don’t know, and I would talk about the part that ‘you will fight for the development of basketball in the region’. Why did you ‘while developing basketball’ in the region make a ‘reception’ for the referees on the airport. Why did you ‘visit’ them in the locker room during the halftime of the third game. Why did you enlist and still keep certain individuals (referees) in your hands since the year 2010 with various prostitutes and all the other things you know that were done. But your conscience isn’t pure – before all else, for Euroleague to find out all those things.”, he said before changing the subject for just a short while.
Covic briefly took the time to compare the two Presidents and the “greatness” of the clubs they represent before coming back to the alleged secrets and illegal activities of the opponent:
“As someone who suffers from fake ‘greatness’ or out of fear that more things will be found out, like the place where the celebration took part (and it was prepared even before the third game) or the names of people who disturbed the Red Star players and delegation and they are ‘labeled’ as reputable Montenegrian citizens, you want to stop all discussion. I’m sorry DB (Dragan Bokan), you’re not disputing with me, you brought the two clubs into conflict. The price of your ‘success’ is too big for the basketball in the region and you will see it”, the Red Star President said before finishing.