By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
Crvena Zvezda released an official statement in the aftermath of the ABA League Finals and the controversy following Buducnost’s reactions regarding the hostile atmosphere the team faced in Game 5.
Before the warmup of the championship game of Buducnost vs. Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade, various items were hurled at players of the Montenegrin side who were forced to return to the locker rooms. The game was subsequently delayed.
Similar incidents also took place in Podgorica and resulted in the ABA League sanctioning Buducnost.
Among other things, Crvena Zvezda mentions the following in its announcement:
“A club with such history and tradition has never before faced such hostility anywhere, as was the case with BC Crvena Zvezda’s delegacy in Podgorica in Games 3 and 4. What unpleasantly surprises us, even more, is the complete ‘amnesia’ of BC Buducnost Voli’s management which, in its statements, is trying to justify failure and take off responsibility, and ‘forgets’ everything that transpired in the third game in which a complete lynch of the whole club was avoided thanks to the composure of our players, coaches, and club members. Despite various humiliations to the club which the Serbian and European public could see on a number of videos and pictures, all BC Crvena Zvezda members, with their cool-headed acts, saved the ABA League – the league of clubs, from complete humiliation and breakdown. Although there were many conditions that evening to finish the Finals off the court.”
Red Star also says that Buducnost is “trying to downplay their big success” which “they proved on the court by beating Buducnost six out of eight times this season” and that they have already started the process of informing EuroLeague about everything that took place in the ABA Finals.